National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung yesterday called for better vocational training, saying that this would produce more qualified trainees.

Hung was commenting on discussions about draft revisions to the Law on Vocational Training in Ha Noi at a National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee meeting.

"Reality has shown that, after graduation, many trainees cannot meet the requirements of work so they have to undergo another training period," Hung said, adding that this wasted time and money.

Agreeing with Hung, NA Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said that by 2015, an ASEAN economic community would be formed and Viet Nam would be deeply integrated into international and regional communities.

At that time, workers without skills of a regional standard would be useless.

"We have to develop vocational training to regional standards so that Vietnamese workers can immediately work in South Korea, Japan or wherever they go," Ngan said.

Chairwoman of the NA Committee for Social Affairs, Truong Thi Mai, said that the draft law should create a balance between public and private sectors in vocational training.

She said that most vocational training units were public, but that the rate between public and private sectors would change.

At the meeting, lawmakers highlighted the need to diversify vocational training and attract more people to programmes. They also suggested the name be changed to the Law on Vocational Education so that the range of education could be widened.

Housing Law

Also yesterday, lawmakers called for regulations in revisions to the Housing Law to ensure that social housing – or housing for the poor and others in need – reached the right people.

Chairman of the NA Council of Ethnic Affairs, Ksor Phuoc, said that although social housing projects were supposed to be available to the poor to buy or rent, reality had shown it was difficult for even middle-income people to buy.

He said that policies on social housing should not give priority to investors but to the poor, who did not own houses.

Mai from the NA Committee for Social Affairs suggested that the poor in urban areas and rural areas be treated equally.

Meanwhile, people who had already found housing, but were now living in degraded structures should also be given support to repair their homes, she said.

The lawmakers agreed on the establishment of a fund for the development of social housing.

NA Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong said that the fund was not necessary in all 63 cities and provinces nationwide but only in selected localities.

Such a fund would enable low-income people and the poor to have housing by accessing a preferential loan from the State, she said.

However, some lawmakers asked for more research on the idea.

Discussions yesterday also focused on the ownership of apartments.

In the afternoon, deputies discussed draft revisions to the Law on Enforcement of Civil Judgements.

VNS/VNN