From direct coaching sessions conducted right in the plantations to the emulation movement “Hone vocational skills - Compete for master artisans,” numerous workers have progressively matured from production realities, mastered latex tapping techniques, and formed lasting commitments to the enterprise.

Nearly half a month after clinching first prize at the 2026 “Golden Hands in Rubber Latex Harvesting” competition organized by the Điện Biên Rubber Joint Stock Company, the joy remains intact for Mùa A Sùng, a worker from the Tuần Giáo Rubber Team.

Recalling when he was initially selected to enter the tournament, Sùng shared that he felt rather apprehensive due to limited experience, while all contest categories imposed stringent demands regarding time, technical precision, and cut quality. To bolster his confidence, technical staff from the Tuần Giáo Rubber Team dedicated over a month to mentoring and drill training, spanning both theory and practice. Sùng was guided through tapping regimes, incision depth, shaving angles, hygiene standards, and tree disease prevention. Hands-on skill refinement was conducted daily directly within the plantation. Following each task segment, technical supervisors inspected every shaving lane, pinpointing deficiencies for him to rectify.

“Prior to the contest, I was quite anxious. When I completed tapping across 100 rubber trees and the Organizing Committee declared me the first-prize winner, I was overwhelmed with emotion. That achievement represents the fruit of diligence, effort, and unity across our entire team,” Mùa A Sùng recounted.

While Mùa A Sùng represents a younger worker steadily coming of age through technical training, Lò Văn Hoan, a worker from the Nà Sáy Rubber Team under Tuần Giáo Rubber Farm, is an experienced tapper with many years of practice. Throughout his 14 years with the Điện Biên Rubber Joint Stock Company, he has proactively learned, honed techniques, and elevated his skills to satisfy production demands.

Entrusted with tending, protecting, and harvesting latex across the plantation grounds of the Nà Sáy Rubber Team, Hoan rigorously observes technical guidelines and pays focused attention to every manual operation during tapping. Annually, he ranks among the unit’s high-yield workers, with shaving lines consistently satisfying technical benchmarks. In 2022, he participated in the Vietnam Rubber Industry Group’s corporate-level “Golden Hands in Rubber Latex Harvesting” competition and secured the title of “Golden Hand.”

Practical experience accumulated from field operations has enabled Hoan to introduce numerous practical initiatives into production. In 2021, he proposed using white correction fluid instead of oil paint for marking rubber trees. This approach boosted marking speeds by approximately 1.5 times and cut costs by nearly one-third, while still ensuring required parameters for technical acceptance. In 2023, he further suggested intercropping medicinal plants beneath the rubber canopy to curb weed proliferation, lower clearing labor, preserve soil moisture, and minimize forest fire risks during the dry season. These initiatives originating directly from everyday work have helped the unit trim operating costs while enhancing the effectiveness of plantation care and protection.

Lò Văn Thiệp, a worker from the Mường Chà Rubber Team, is another tapper boasting outstanding achievements. Following over 5 years of training, courses, and direct on-site guidance in the orchards, he has mastered technical maneuvers and repeatedly secured top honors in vocational competitions.

From 2022 through 2024, Lò Văn Thiệp was continuously selected to take part in “Golden Hands” competitions organized by the Company and the Vietnam Rubber Group. In 2022, he achieved the titles of “Golden Hand” and “Grandmaster” at both Company and Group levels. In 2024, he went on to win first prize at the Company’s tournament.

According to Thiệp, the most critical element in latex tapping is sustaining precision and stability throughout every hand motion. A technically sound cut ensures steady latex yields while avoiding trunk injuries, thereby preserving the tree’s vegetative vigor and sustaining the plantation’s long-term harvesting lifespan. This represents a foundational requirement set forth by the Điện Biên Rubber Joint Stock Company across its workforce training programs.

Nguyễn Ngọc Cẩm, General Director of the Điện Biên Rubber Joint Stock Company, stated that the enterprise identifies the workforce as the direct factor dictating the efficiency of production and business operations. Therefore, alongside looking after employment and earnings, vocational training and skill-upgrading initiatives are maintained continuously.

The Company currently employs 881 cadres, workers, and laborers, among whom 836 belong to ethnic minority groups. Given this workforce composition, the enterprise prioritizes hands-on, on-site training modeled on direct coaching, linking theory with physical practice in the plantations. Periodic assessments and technical contests are organized from the team level up to the Company level, facilitating accurate evaluations of individual capabilities and identifying skilled workers for continued development.

A cornerstone activity maintained across many years is the “Golden Hands in Rubber Latex Harvesting” competition. The year 2026 marked the 6th edition staged by the Company over the past 12 years. Through each tournament, standardized technical practices and efficient harvesting experience are shared across production teams, motivating workers to train independently and raise their skill levels. From the emulation movement “Hone vocational skills - Compete for master artisans,” numerous technically adept workers have evolved into core mentors guiding and assisting peers within their units. Learning on the job is thus sustained directly alongside everyday production.

Hoàng Xuân Lợi, Deputy General Director of the Điện Biên Rubber Joint Stock Company, shared that every year, the enterprise engages professional instructors to train newly recruited workers and upgrade skills for existing personnel, while staging cross-team technical inspections to rectify flawed maneuvers promptly. In the first 9 months of 2026 alone, 836 workers, technical staff, and plantation guards received vocational training and skill refreshers. Curricula centered on tree care techniques, harvesting, orchard security, occupational safety, and labor discipline.

According to Lầu Thị Thanh Hương, Vice Chairwoman of the provincial Labor Confederation of Điện Biên, corporate attention dedicated to training and elevating vocational skills for laborers carries practical significance, especially for front-line production workers. As skill sets advance, workers progressively enhance productivity, increase earnings, and commit to long-term service with the business.

Cultivating and upgrading skills enables the Điện Biên Rubber Joint Stock Company to forge a proficient workforce meeting production requirements. This serves as the foundation for workers to elevate incomes, remain attached to the enterprise, and ensure stable production operations.