Training course to give rural women a business boost
Training course to give rural women a business boost
The Lao Women's Union (LWU) is helping 50 rural women from around the country to increase business opportunities in cooking, tailoring, and beauty salons through a three-month training course.
The vocational training course for marginalised women, which began yesterday, is being conducted by the Lao Women's Union, supported by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family of the Republic of Korea, with the implementing agency International Women and Family Foundation.
There is currently a strong demand for skilled workers in various sectors throughout the country.
The Lao garment industry needs more than 10,000 tailors each year to work in garment factories, but there is a lack of skilled labourers in the country, according to a Garment Skills Development Centre report.
Laos' tourism industry also continues to grow each year, which means an expanding demand for hotels and restaurants, while Lao people are also more interested in beauty and health.
These factors would drive rural women's opportunities to develop their skills relating to these sectors and also increase the chances of running their own businesses, a vocational centre official said.
Vice President of the LWU, Ms Bandith Pathoumvanh, said the training course aimed to improve women's livelihoods, especially in rural areas. Participants will have an opportunity do basic marketing research, and learn about business management and setting up their own business to ensure sustainable income.
Officials at the Ministry of Education and Sports' Technical and Vocational Education Department told Vientiane Times recently the government was keen to use vocational education as a key part of its strategy to improve national competitiveness.
It is endeavouring to provide young people with high standard vocational training so they can successfully enter the job market and become self-reliant.
