At the recruitment office of VinCons Construction Investment and Development Joint Stock Company (a subsidiary of Vingroup) in Thanh Nưa commune, an average of 70 to 80 workers arrive daily to apply. This represents a large-scale recruitment drive to serve Vingroup’s new projects in Điện Biên province. During this phase, the enterprise is hiring for a wide range of positions, including bricklayers, formwork carpenters, mechanics, welders, and concrete workers, with monthly incomes ranging from VND 14 to 33 million depending on skill level. Particularly, the team leader position offers a salary from VND 32 to 41 million per month.

VinCons aims to recruit around 7,000 workers in Điện Biên in a campaign starting on May 25. For unskilled workers, the enterprise will organize a 30-day training course consisting of 10 days of theory and 20 days of practical application using a hands-on approach. Notably, during the training and probationary period, workers still receive 85% of their salary along with free meals and accommodation. The attractive income levels and welfare benefits have drawn many local workers who were previously employed in other provinces and cities back to their hometowns to build their careers.

Lường Văn Miền (from Khén village, Mường Lạn commune) was among the first to decide to leave the city and return home. Previously, Miền struggled as a formwork carpenter in Hanoi and Hải Phòng with an income of around VND 15 to 16 million per month, equivalent to VND 500,000 to 600,000 per day for full working days. Upon hearing that VinCons was recruiting right in Điện Biên, he and several friends from his village returned to apply. Having just passed the interview and been accepted as a level-2 formwork carpenter with a salary of VND 22 million per month, Miền excitedly shared: “The salary here is significantly higher than when working far away, plus full social insurance coverage and four days off per month. But the most precious thing is being able to work close to home, having time to care for my family, which gives me great peace of mind.”

Sharing the same anticipation, the husband-and-wife duo Lò Văn Tỉnh and Lò Thị Nghĩa (from Hón Sáng village, Mường Ảng) also arrived at the recruitment site early. In this drive, Nghĩa decided to try her hand at an ironworker position, while Tỉnh applied to be a driver. Having struggled for many years in the lowlands, what concerned them most was living far away from their children and elderly parents. Tỉnh confided that if they are recruited, they will have a stable income while being close by to take care of their family and children, something that was very difficult to achieve when working far away.

Confirming the massive scale of this recruitment drive, Nguyễn Văn Sang, from Project Battalion 68 of VinCons Company, stated that the current recruitment demand is “unlimited” to keep up with the progress of major projects in Điện Biên. To prevent workers from traveling long distances, apart from the reception point in Thanh Nưa commune, the company is planning to open additional on-site recruitment offices in Na Son and Na Sang communes, as skilled positions in formwork, reinforcing steel, and concrete are still in high shortage. Sang added that workers in Điện Biên have the advantages of diligence and good health, though a segment still faces limitations in technical skills, which the enterprise is ready to address by organizing dedicated training.

Not only for manual laborers, but these major projects also open up employment opportunities for professional workers, especially recent graduates eager to return to their hometowns to establish their careers. Having graduated with a degree in Management Science from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Nguyễn Thị Thùy from Sam Mứn commune chose to return to Điện Biên to work at Vinalpha Infrastructure Construction and Investment Joint Stock Company (Vingroup). Currently, Thùy takes on the task of recruiting personnel for positions such as full-time workers, drivers, equipment operators, field technicians, mechanized equipment operators, and surveying QC/QS. Thùy shared that after graduation, her greatest wish was to work in her hometown to utilize the knowledge she learned and be close to care for her family, leading her to apply immediately upon learning of Vinalpha’s recruitment drive.

The vibrancy of the labor market is closely tied to the deployment of a large-scale project by Vingroup in Điện Biên. Previously, on May 11, the provincial People’s Committee coordinated with Vingroup to break ground on the New Urban Area, Resort Tourism, and Sports Services Project in the northwest of Điện Biên Phủ ward. The project spans 228 ha with an estimated total investment of over VND 23,660 billion, expected to become a driving force for the province’s urban, tourism, and service development. With a proactive approach, Vingroup has prepared thoroughly to commence construction on the project in the near future.

As major projects are deployed and human resource demands surge, more job opportunities will open up for the local labor market. Local residents have the chance to upgrade their skills and access a professional working environment right in their hometown. This is also an opportunity for many workers living away from home to return and build their careers, contributing to replenishing and retaining quality human resources for the long-term development of the province.