To Vietnam, the open labour market will provide an opportunity for the country to attract better qualified employees from other countries in ASEAN.
Merric Noel from the Philippines is currently working as an engineer at a Vietnamese software company. Highly-skilled employees like Noel have helped the company enter the international market.
When the ASEAN labour market opens, skilled workers can freely move in the region, creating chances for Vietnam to attract those employees. People with skills in telecommunications, information technology and banking from Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines could prove attractive to employers and require lower salaries than those from Europe and the US.
Nguyen Viet Anh, Director, FPT Software said: Foreign employees are what our company needs right now because they are the bridge to help us enter other markets.
Noticing this trend, several Vietnamese software enterprises have opened their offices in the Philippines or Malaysia.
'Vietnamese can work in ASEAN countries. Meanwhile Vietnamese companies can attract more skilled employees who have good English and experience in sectors which are not Vietnam’s strengths", said Doan Mau Hiep, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.
With the new policy, Vietnamese workers also have the opportunity to work in ASEAN member countries. However, according to experts, besides professional skills, they need to have good language skills and an understanding of international workplaces./.