From now until 2025, Da Nang will be in need of 77,000 information technology (IT) employees. In addition to efforts of the city’s schools in training IT human resources, local businesses need to take the initiative to attract high-quality human resources outside the city to meet their growing demand for IT employees.

Software engineers are working at an IT company in Hai Chau District. Photo: HOANG HIEP

On June 18, FPT Software Da Nang Co., Ltd hosted a housewarming party for its nearly 400 employees who bought apartments and settled in FPT Plaza 1 located in Hoa Hai Ward, Ngu Hanh Son District under the company's programme called ‘Settlement and Happiness’.

About 1,000 billion VND, 25-storey-plus- one- basement FPT Plaza 2 project, with a total gross floor area of nearly 80,000 square metres is underway, and the new development will provide about 700 luxury apartments boasting full high standard amenities to be able to accommodate 1,900 people.

On May 24, Da Nang FPT Urban Joint Stock Company started construction of some projects in the Da Nang FPT Technological Urban Area (FPT City Da Nang) at a total cost of  VND 2,600 billion. Included are the third phase of FPT Complex to provide working space for 10,000 IT engineers, the second phase of FPT University to accommodate additional 5,000 students and 5,000 others attending inter-level school, Data Center, and FPT Plaza 3 to offer 863 apartments.

“Once completed, FPT Complex will provide working space for 10,000 IT engineers with its expectation of bringing nearly USD 200 million in revenue from software exports to Da Nang. After the FPT University project is completed, about 2,000-3,000 IT human resources are expected to provided for the city every year,” Da Nang FPT Urban Joint Stock Company Director General Nguyen Van Loc said.

Director of FPT Software Company in Central Viet Nam Le Hong Linh highlighted the need for Da Nang businesses to attract young talents in the context of shortage of IT human resources in Da Nang and Central Viet Nam as a whole. He remarked that focus should be on issuing preferential policies to attract domestic and foreign employees to Da Nang in addition to training IT human resources.

Apart from recruiting new IT engineers, FPT Software Company is giving high priority to covering housing rental costs, travel fees, business travel expenses as well as offering other benefits in a bid to attract young talents from other localities nationwide. Especially, new IT engineers who will hold important positions in the company will be faciliated to purchase an appartment at FPT Plaza buildings at preferential prices. In 2022, 100 apartments in FPT Plaza 2 project which will be completed in March 2023 are planned for young talents from other parts of the country to work in the FPT Software Da Nang. In addition, these people will be facilitated the access to preferential loans with maximum interest rate of 4% annually when borrowing money from a bank to purchase a house, buy a resdential lot, build or repair a house, buy a car, and more.

According to the municipal Department of Information and Communications, the FPT Software Da Nang will be in need of 10,000 IT employees in the coming years but its recruitment demand is higher than the supply of humman resources from IT education and training institutions in the city. Meanwhile, in the near future, the Da Nang IT Park located in Hoa Lien Commune, Hoa Vang District will be in need of 2,000 IT employees while the Software Park No. 2 located in Thuan Phuoc Ward, Hai Chau District which is expected to operate in August 2022 also needs 6,000 IT employees. Besides, projects soon to be created will see high demand for IT human resources. Included are the Viettel Da Nang Software and Hi-Tech Centre, Creative Space Project in Hoa Xuan Ward, Cam Le District, the Da Nang Bay IT Park in Lien Chieu District.

Da Nang is now home to 38 IT training institutions, of which, 20 are universities and junior colleges and 18 are intermediate schools, vocational training centers and informal training centers. In 2021, the total target enrollment number for IT majors from the city’s training institutions was over 6,000 students, including 4,500 enrolled in universities and junior colleges.

“By 2025, the city will be in need of 77,000 IT employees but IT training institutions in the city cannot met the demand for IT human resources from local businesses," noted Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Information and Communications Tran Ngoc Thach.

Given the situation, the municipal Department of Information and Communications will continue its efforts to coordinate with relevant agencies to develop IT human resources in addition to attracting young talents outside the city, especially from overseas in an attempt to meet the recruitment demand from local businesses.

Mr. Nguyen Van Chuong from the Da Nang Young Entrepreneurs Association stressed the need for businesses, education and training institutions, along with the municipal government to boost cooperation in developing IT human resources. The focus should be on shifting businesses’ mindsets from headhunting to incubating, nurturing, and developing human resources. Importance should be attached to foster cooperation between businesses and training institutions to offer On-the-Job (OJT) training program. OJT is a workforce development strategy where recruiters of all sizes have an opportunity to train, mentor and hire candidates as they become fully proficient in a particular skillset or job function. Through the OJT model, candidates receive the hands-on training necessary to increase their skills, knowledge and capacity to perform the designated job functions. Heed should be paid to strengthening cooperation between businesses and the municipal administration to attract IT employees and develop digital transformation startups. In fact, Da Nang has till date attracted a large number of IT talents, investors, and experts from developed countries around the world.

Reporting by HOANG HIEP – translating by H.L