The paper pointed out that Vietnam’s human capital is of a great potential but the current death of professional skills and low quality of labour has hindered the country’s opportunities which have brought about by the favourable age structure and abundant supply of labour. | Vietnam Social Sciences, No. 1(159) - 2014 RESTRUCTURING THE POPULATION AND HUMAN RESOURCES TO MEET THE TARGET OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN VIETNAM DANG NGUYEN ANH * Abstract: For all nations, human resource development is crucial for success, particularly in the present era of globalization and international integration. Vietnam is experiencing a prominent increase in the proportion of people of working ages, characterized by the lowest ratio of working ages to dependent population. This advantage, known as the “demographic dividend” (or “demographic bonus”), is a great potential for the country’s socio-economic development. However, “demographic dividend” may become a social burden if education, training and employment for young manpower are not adequately provided. The paper pointed out that Vietnam’s human capital is of a great potential but the current death of professional skills and low quality of labour has hindered the country’s opportunities which have brought about by the favourable age structure and abundant supply of labour. After examining and analyzing different challenges regarding the low quality of the human resources, the paper made policy recommendations and suggested necessary measures for restructuring the human resources of Vietnam in line of the Government’s efforts in restructuring the economy to overcome obstacles and meet the target of sustainable development. Key words: human resources, restructuring, demographic dividend, Vietnam, sustainable development. 1. Introduction Human resources and human resource development are the key issues for every country, especially in the context of globalization and international integration. Many countries have taken the initiative in investing, building and developing human resources, based on which a significant breakthrough in social development and economic growth could be achieved. Historical lessons and experience from developed countries have shown that stable economic growth should rely on
