Japanese Builders to Train Vietnamese Engineers

Tokyo, Feb. 26 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese and Vietnamese construction industries plan to launch a project to train Vietnamese engineers using Japanese technologies, industry officials said Tuesday. The two sides are expected to reach a formal agreement on the project when they meet in Hanoi March 7 at a conference sponsored by the Japanese infrastructure ministry and the Vietnamese Ministry of Construction. The project calls for the Vietnamese to acquire Japanese language skills and learn Japanese construction technologies through training courses in Vietnam and internships in Japanese construction companies. The two sides will discuss establishing a new educational institution under the project. The Japanese ministry plans to support the project by serving as a liaison with the Vietnamese government. The use of Vietnamese engineers is expected to help Japanese construction companies do business in the Southeast Asian country by reinforcing their cost competitiveness. The Vietnamese side will benefit from Japan's advanced technologies. A meeting was held Tuesday in Tokyo to mark the establishment of a group of Japanese construction companies to promote the project. Taisei Corp. <1801> Executive Vice President Satoru Ogata, who is chair of the group, said the project will substantially help Japanese general contractors long struggling to secure competent engineers in Vietnam. END