Ground broken for Oudomxay skill development centre

Construction of a skill development centre will soon be underway in Oudomxay province, aiming to build a skilled workforce to meet the needs of the job market both in Laos and the region.

Lao and Chinese officials attend a groundbreaking ceremony to start construction of a skill development centre in Oudomxay province.

The fully-integrated centre will be able to accommodate more than 1,200 trainees.
The cost of construction is estimated at 147.26 million Chinese yuan (more than 426.22 billion kip), funded by a grant from the Chinese government through China Aid.
A ground-breaking ceremony to mark the start of construction of the centre took place in Oudomxay province on Tuesday.
The centre will provide intermediate level training and be equipped with practical training materials.
It will be used to train teachers, build teaching partnerships, and to select talented students for exchange programmes in China.
The centre will consist of classrooms and practical training facilities, an office building, a cafeteria, two student dormitories, and a teachers’ dormitory.
There also be a sports field, football pitch, basketball court, and other facilities.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, the Governor of Oudomxay province Mr Bounkhong Lachiamphone said the provision of a grant from the Chinese government to fund the construction of the skill development centre served to further promote the ties between Laos and China, building on the success of the Laos-China railway.
The railway has created an important link between Laos and China, boosting economic and trade cooperation, and bringing more foreign tourists to Laos.
It has also strengthened the friendship and strategic partnership between Laos and China in many respects, Mr Bounkhong said.
The partnership between Laos and China in education promises to be a significant boost for the improvement of job skills, especially benefitting people who are unemployed, those who want to change jobs, and young people in Oudomxay province entering the job market for the first time.
The skill development centre will provide opportunities for workers in the northern provinces to strengthen existing skills and learn new ones, so they are better equipped to meet the needs of the labour market in Laos and the region.
Training and certification will enable more people to have stable jobs and higher incomes, so they can contribute to the province’s economic and social development plans.
Also speaking at the ceremony, Minister of Labour and Social Welfare Mrs Baykham Khattiya said the Oudomxay provincial skill development centre was one of 10 such facilities in Laos supported by the Chinese government, adding that China recognised the importance of vocational training and the development of a competent and dedicated workforce in Laos.
China will provide comprehensive support and be largely responsible for the success of the training centre through the provision of educational materials and equipment, she added.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update December 29, 2023)