Minister Le Minh Hoan: Agricultural workforce training is cultivating the future leaders of the industry

Establishing a multi-valued integrated agriculture discipline

Taking place in Ho Chi Minh City on August 4th, the conference "Training and Developing Human Resources for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development in the Southern Provinces" was led by Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Le Minh Hoan.

At the outset of the conference, Minister Le Minh Hoan introduced the book " Narrow Vision, Captive Thinking" by a Japanese author, thereby conveying an important message to the attending businesses and delegates about the perspective and mindset of the character, who said, "I wish this slope were ten times steeper, as there would be many who give up, but I will be the ultimate victor." This illustrates the necessity for a paradigm shift in the approach to human resource development, particularly those serving sustainable agriculture and rural development in the future.

"This is the second conference organized by the Ministry with the aim of “climbing the hill”, joining forces, cooperating, sharing values, and generating new value, all with the aspiration of becoming a nation with a competitive advantage in agriculture," stated the Minister.

According to Minister Le Minh Hoan, by the end of this year, the Government and Hau Giang province will jointly organize the International Rice Festival, aiming to affirm that Vietnam's rice not only brings value to the country but also contributes to ensuring food security amid the backdrop of numerous difficulties faced by other nations due to climate change.

The Minister also commented the cornerstone of agriculture rests upon its human resources. Concurrently, the Fourth Industrial Revolution with its remarkable strides in artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, IoT, and other cutting-edge technologies is continuously evolving, presenting formidable challenges to the agricultural workforce, not only in Vietnam but across the globe. This dynamic necessitates the agricultural sector to navigate within a broader trajectory to ascertain its path forward.

"Education and training should not be treated purely as commercial ventures; however, they must still be governed by the principles of supply and demand, pricing, and quality. The offerings of educational institutions should be tailored to meet the needs of a market-driven economy and the demands of different industries. In addition to imparting knowledge, schools play a vital role in nurturing intellectual abilities. Within the agricultural sector, it is crucial for all human resources to embrace an integrated approach, as such comprehensive thinking will lead to the creation of true value.

The Party resolution has put forth breakthroughs in 3 aspects: institutional, infrastructural, and human resources. Today, we will focus on the agricultural workforce to serve the strategic development of sustainable agriculture and rural areas.

Therefore, in the transition from production-oriented to agricultural economic-oriented thinking, specialized agricultural disciplines will encompass multiple models, such as ecological agriculture, organic agriculture, circular agriculture, regenerative agriculture, livestock combined with aquaculture, and agroforestry, etc. Through this approach, the integration of these disciplines forms a value chain, enabling graduates to seamlessly join the workforce of businesses without requiring additional training”, as suggested by the Minister.

During engagements with educational institutions in the southern region, the Minister noted a decreasing presence of agricultural and non-agricultural disciplines within their curriculum. Consequently, there is a pressing demand for a mindset shift to recognize that the contemporary agricultural sector must not exist in isolation; rather, it should combine diverse disciplines to evolve into a comprehensive and multi-valued integrated agricultural discipline.

Fostering future pioneers and leaders.

During various field trips to numerous farms, agricultural cooperatives, and agribusiness startups, the Minister observed that many farm owners are not traditional agriculture graduates but rather young individuals with backgrounds in business management, information technology, electronics, mechanics, tourism, commerce, and other disciplines.

"Why should we continue to view education and training merely as a means to provide labor for businesses? Instead, we should focus on empowering the workforce to become competent entrepreneurs, equipped with management skills and qualities to lead agricultural enterprises, small farms, cooperatives, and small to medium-sized agricultural businesses," said the Minister. Additionally, he emphasized that there are two objectives in training the agricultural workforce: supplying the national economy with skilled labor through businesses and directly nurturing individuals to become capable entrepreneurs.

Recent statistics reveal a concerning trend: a dwindling enrollment in agricultural programs among students. The Minister raises a pertinent question for educational establishments: "Have we neglected to kindle the love for agriculture? Have we overlooked the inspiration for nature and life? Are we yet to adapt our pedagogical methods for agricultural education, farmer involvement, and rural development amidst the ever-changing industrial and digital landscape, amid integrated thinking and the multi-valued chain approach?" The Minister emphasized.

According to Minister Le Minh Hoan, it is crucial to integrate society, daily life, and businesses into the scope of education. The objective is to guide students in comprehending the significance of their chosen fields of study in relation to human life and society. Beyond imparting specialized knowledge, the educational approach aims to instill in students the ability to enhance value, formulate management plans, and establish continuous processes over time. "This means one should never being fixed in a singular lesson, but teaching students to always maintain an open mindset," stated the Minister.

The Minister asserts that educational institutions must persistently build their future brand with exemplary representatives being their students and interns engaged in practical experience. These individuals possess profound expertise in their fields while simultaneously having a combination of specialized and diverse knowledge, making them well-suited to adapt to the forthcoming agricultural landscape.

Simultaneously, educational institutions should collaborate and integrate to cater to various levels of expertise required by businesses, offering a ladder of workforce development from vocational schools, intermediate, and college, to university levels. This fosters a cohesive network of interconnected institutions working together to meet the demands of the job market.

The Minister further underlines that entrepreneurship within educational institutions is not merely a fleeting trend; rather, it represents a practical and experiential approach through tangible outcomes. Entrepreneurship in schools aims to empower students to take charge of their future beyond the confines of the classroom. Thus, the current collaboration between schools and businesses presents an opportunity for both parties to be "open" - open to sharing values and multiplying their worth multiple times over. "When entrepreneurship is fostered through the collaboration between educational institutions and businesses, innovative ideas become readily commercialized in the market," stated the Minister.

Minister Le Minh Hoan also stated that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will engage in discussions with the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs to restructure the educational system within the Ministry. This aims to revolutionize the training of agricultural and rural workforce by integrating knowledge, skills, attitude, and critical thinking for learners, while establishing a seamless connection among vocational, college, and university education levels.

"When granted permission by the Government, we will establish a pilot program for the agricultural highschool education system within the Ministry's schools, aiming to balance the workforce and ensure timely supply of skilled labor for both livelihoods and enterprises," the Minister stated.

Given the prevailing difficulties encountered by businesses, the Minister conveyed sincere appreciation for the collective cooperation of the business community, which has stood alongside agricultural students during these times. The Minister specially recognized the active participation of several enterprises, as they openly engaged with the Ministry's educational institutions, providing valuable guidance and direction to the students.

 “In my constant contemplation, I firmly believe that schools serve as environments, as spaces for nurturing the intellect, wisdom, knowledge, and skills of learners. On the other hand, entrepreneurs play the role of career pathfinders, igniting the fire of inspiration, passion, and ambition within students, thus infusing them with spirit and aspirations.

Today's collaboration is simple, with one party having its strengths and the other having theirs. If we come together in harmony, we will discover numerous values to bring back, and this is also the responsibility of society and businesses in building a brand for the betterment of human life and the future. Today, it is the convergence towards the mission of nurturing future generations, and whether any cooperation endures or not depends on the belief and understanding of the profound value of that collaboration.

This collaboration will show results for the agricultural workforce of our country in the next 5 to 10 years. The spirit of cooperation, in my opinion, is a culture, an attitude towards life, and a philosophy that helping others is, in fact, helping oneself through actions.

Renowned scientist Einstein once said that while logical thinking will take people from point A to point B, imagination will take you everywhere. Therefore, I urge everyone to close their eyes and imagine what agriculture in Vietnam will be like 5 to 10 years from now, how the agricultural workforce in Vietnam will shape up, and what each of us has contributed to that "picture," said the Minister.

Schools and business are two interdependent "lenses" in a pair of glasses that cannot be separated

After listening to the opinions of various schools and businesses, Minister Le Minh Hoan believes that there is a need to change the perspective and look further ahead. Instead of painting a somewhat gloomy picture of attracting human resources training in agriculture, schools must have ready "products" to appeal to businesses. They should not isolate themselves in an academic space but must be open to collaboration.

Minister Le Minh Hoan has given a task to the schools: within three months, they must research and present to the Ministry the new products of the schools, how they are developed to change the approach to agricultural and rural human resources training, aiming for schools that not only provide one job opportunity for learners but also train them to work in various positions within agriculture. On the other hand, businesses cannot solely rely on the state or schools. They also need to cooperate with schools to invest in a long-term human resource strategy.

"School and business are two interdependent 'lenses' in a pair of glasses that cannot be separated," the Minister emphasized, conveying the message that the mission of training human resources is a collective responsibility of the country, not just for a specific entity. Therefore, the Minister will listen to the contributions and proposals from schools and businesses, integrate them, and change the approach and mindset in agricultural human resources training.