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Education for Development

VOCATIONAL TRAINING

& EMPLOYMENT

FOR STREET CHILDREN

An analysis of vocational training and employment options

in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Conducted by

Education for Development

Implementing Organisation Education for Development (EFD)

Local Partner Organisation Ho Chi Minh City Child Welfare Foundation (HCWF)Funding Organisations UNICEF (through HCWF), Child Hope UK, EFDCo-ordinators of Research Koen Van Acoleyen

Kendra FrewResearch Team Craig Thomas

Roy LittleTran Minh HaiDo Van NamLuu Thi My LinhHoang Thanh Linh Nguyen Chi Tam

Do Thi Bach PhatLe KhanhHoang Thien Truc

Report Writer/Editor Kendra FrewReport Translation Nguyen Anh Phuoc

June 2003



2 Education for Development

Table of Contents

FOREWORD......................................................................................................................4

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...............................................................................................5

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY................................................................................................6

1 INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................... 8

1.1 THE CONTEXT.......................................................................................................... 81.2 OBJECTIVES OF R ESEARCH....................................................................................... 81.3 DEFINITION OF “STREET CHILDREN” ....................................................................... 9

2 METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................... 9

2.1 PARTICIPANTS.......................................................................................................... 92.2 LOCATION AND TIME OF RESEARCH ....................................................................... 11

2.3 R ESEARCH TOOLS .................................................................................................. 112.4 I NTERVIEWERS....................................................................................................... 122.5 LIMITATIONS.......................................................................................................... 13

3 LITERATURE REVIEW ...................................................................................... 13

3.1 “STREET CHILD” SPECIFIC ISSUES ......................................................................... 133.2 TRAINING ISSUES ................................................................................................... 133.3 EMPLOYMENT ISSUES ............................................................................................ 14

4 RESULTS OF THE RESEARCH ........................................................................ 15

4.1 VOCATIONAL TRAINING......................................................................................... 15

4.1.1 Training Programmes for Street Children.................................................... 154.1.2 Street Children and Vocational Training: The Issues .................................. 17

4.1.3 Labour Market Needs – current and future .................................................. 18

4.1.4 Government Regulations and Vocational Training ...................................... 204.1.5 Barriers to Training...................................................................................... 20

4.1.6 Lessons for Training Centres........................................................................ 214.2 EMPLOYMENT ........................................................................................................ 22

4.2.1 Importance of Work ...................................................................................... 22

4.2.2 Jobs for Street Children ................................................................................ 23

4.2.3 Government Regulations and Employment................................................... 244.2.4 Labour Market Needs – current and future .................................................. 24

4.2.5 Why Graduates of Training Programmes do not find employment .............. 254.2.6 Unsafe Work Environment ............................................................................ 25

4.2.7 Characteristics of Employers........................................................................ 254.2.8 Long Term and Short Term Contracts .......................................................... 26

4.2.9 Socialising at Work ....................................................................................... 26

4.2.10 Salary and Benefits ....................................................................................... 26 4.2.11 Type of work – routine/physically demanding .............................................. 27

4.2.12 Training Whilst at Work................................................................................ 27

4.2.13 Conditions of Employment............................................................................ 27




5 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS.................................................. 28

5.1 CONCLUSIONS........................................................................................................ 285.2 R ECOMMENDATIONS.............................................................................................. 30

6 APPENDICES......................................................................................................... 31

6.1 APPENDIX 1: PARTICIPANTS OF R ESEARCH AND THEIR LOCATION......................... 316.2 APPENDIX 2: QUESTIONNAIRES FOR ALL TARGET GROUPS .................................... 34

6.2.1 Street Children (Group 1)............................................................................. 346.2.2 Street Children (Group 2)............................................................................. 36

6.2.3 Directors and Personnel Managers of Business in HCMC.......................... 38

6.2.4 Directors and Staff of Vocational Training Programmes for the General Public in HCMC ....................................................................... 40

6.2.5 Directors and Staff of Vocational Training Programmes for

Street Children in HCMC ............................................................................. 42

6.2.6 International Organisations Working in HCMC .......................................... 44

6.2.7 Job Service Centres in HCMC...................................................................... 46 6.2.8 Relevant Authorities and Government Agencies in HCMC.......................... 47

6.3 APPENDIX 3: R EASONS FOR LEAVING A JOB .......................................................... 506.4 APPENDIX 4: CHARACTERISTICS OF EMPLOYERS ................................................... 53

7 REFERENCE LIST................................................................................................ 56

8 BIBLIOGRAPHY................................................................................................... 57




Foreword

It was in a meeting of the Project Development Committee in 2001 that members from theHo Chi Minh City Child Welfare Foundation first raised the idea for this research. The

discussion was centred around the topic of street and working children who, like all other children, need certain things to enable them to integrate into society and live stable lives.Of those necessities identified, vocational training and employment were of vitalimportance. Thus the idea for this research was based on the need to assist street children ingaining information and access to vocational training and employment opportunities.

An agreement between the Ho Chi Minh City Child Welfare Foundation and Education for Development was formed to conduct this important research. The result of which is thisreport. As a result of much time and effort from everyone involved, it is with greatsatisfaction that we can now distribute this research report. The information gathered willhopefully assist all major stakeholders in their role of providing access to, and improving

the services of, vocational training and employment for street children.

This report however, is just the beginnings of promoting a greater understanding of streetchildren and their needs. It is anticipated that this research provides the stimulus for further work as a vital component of improving children’s lives.

Mrs. Tran Thi Ngoc Bich Mr. Joeri Leysen

Executive Vice Chairperson Country Co-ordinator Ho Chi Minh City Child Welfare Foundation Education for DevelopmentVIETNAM VIETNAM




Acknowledgements

Education for Development (EFD) would like to thank our partner, the Ho Chi Minh CityChild Welfare Foundation (HCWF) for their support and hard work in assisting with this

report. Also for their generosity in allowing us to use their facilities to conduct interviewsand group discussions for the research.

We would also like to thank UNICEF and Child Hope UK for their generous financialsupport as well as their patience given the research took a little longer than expected. Aspecial thank you to Ms Heli Mikkola and Mr Tran Cong Binh from UNICEF for their helpduring the development of the questionnaires and to Ms Heli for her valuable feedback onthe draft report.

This report would not exist without the vital input and ideas from all 100 participants of theresearch. Their honesty and openness when answering our questions was very much

appreciated. The time each participant gave up to answer our rather lengthy questionnaireswas significant and so we would especially like to thank everyone who participated in thisimportant research for their valuable time.

Without the great work of the research team this report would also not have come tofruition. In particular, we would like to thank Mr Craig Thomas, Mr Roy Little, Ms HoangThien Truc, Mr Tran Minh Hai, Mr Do Van Nam, Ms Luu Thi My Linh, Mr Hoang ThanhLinh, Mr Nguyen Chi Tam, Ms Do Thi Bach Phat, Mr Le Khanh and Ms Kendra Frew for their excellent work.

I would also like to thank our team of dedicated staff and volunteers who worked tirelessly

to complete the research project. In particular I would like to thank my predecessor Mr Koen Van Acoleyen for being instrumental in co-ordinating the research project, MsKendra Frew for taking over the co-ordinator role and working very hard to finish thereport by the set deadline, Ms Luu Thi My Linh and Mr Hoang Thanh Linh for assistingKendra throughout the research, and Ms Lisa Crouch for her valuable feedback on the draftreport. I would also like to give a special thanks to our Vietnamese volunteers for translating the many documents required in this research. Thanks to: Ms Nguyen NhuDiem Trang, Mr Tran Tu Minh, Ms Nguyen Thi Thu Thanh, Ms Nguyen Ngoc Le, and MsHoang Thi Hong Ha. We really appreciate your hard work.

Finally we must thank you, the reader, for taking the time to read this report. Without your interest, assistance, and feedback the future opportunities of training and employment for street children will remain as limited as they are today. Thank you for your help andsupport for the future of the children of Vietnam.

Joeri LeysenCountry Co-ordinator Education for DevelopmentVIETNAM June 2003




Executive Summary

Background

Previous research about street children with regard to vocational training and employment

has highlighted many issues. In particular the lack of information and access these childrenhave to training and employment opportunities. Although there is a wealth of knowledgeand experience available on how to improve vocational training services to children, thisexperience has not been documented and therefore cannot be easily shared. As a result,these children and all major stakeholders, including vocational training providers, jobservice centres, potential employers, international non-government organisations andgovernment agencies, lack vital information on vocational training and employment for street children.

Purpose and Objectives

This research will attempt to overcome this lack of information by providing all relevant

stakeholders with important information on the interests and preferences of street childrenabout their vocational training and employment needs. The research will identify whattypes of vocational training programmes and jobs are most suited to street children and alsowhat training and jobs meet the needs of the current and future labour market. Thisknowledge in turn will help to improve the current services for street children andhopefully enable their access to suitable vocational training programmes and employmentopportunities.

Methodology

The literature review identified the most relevant target groups for the purpose of thisresearch. These included street children, international organisations working in Ho Chi

Minh City (HCMC), relevant authorities and government agencies in HCMC, directors and personnel managers of businesses who operate in HCMC, job service centres in HCMC,directors and staff of vocational training programmes for the general public in HCMC, anddirectors and staff of vocational training programmes for street children in HCMC. Onehundred participants were interviewed and their responses recorded for qualitative analysis.

Main Findings

The main objective of this research was to identify the most suitable training programmesand jobs for street children in relation to the needs of the current and future labour market.While many different jobs and training courses were identified throughout the research, themost frequently mentioned was sewing/tailor courses for girls and motorbike repair courses

for boys. This is not to suggest that these are the only jobs and training programmessuitable for street children, but it does highlight the importance of the labour market indetermining suitability and future success. Other factors determining suitability of atraining programme are that they should be short term, cheap or free, conveniently locatedand practical skills focused. The programmes should also allow street children to work andstudy at the same time since earning money is an important part of their daily survival.

Barriers to training were identified through the research with the cost of training being oneof the main barriers. Providing cheap or free training to street children will help to




overcome this barrier. Government regulations requiring the provision of ID papers andresident permits to attend training and to get a job were also identified as a main barrier tothe training and employment of street children. Overcoming this barrier is a major challenge for the community as a whole.

Lessons Learned

The lessons learned from the research were numerous and varied. Many lessons for potential employers and vocational training providers were identified which will hopefullyassist these two groups in understanding and meeting the particular training andemployment needs of street children. For training centres, the provision of personalguidance and support was considered very important for street children. Training centresshould also help street children find a job after training through introductions to potentialemployers and facilitating work experience opportunities. A highly effective teachingmethod for street children was the practical component of a training course and therefore acombination of both practical and theoretical teaching methods should be adopted.

For employers the lessons covered a variety of areas. One area concerns the high level of importance children place on earning a good salary. The requirement for these children toearn money in order to support their family and/or themselves is vital and is an importantfactor for employers when considering long term retention of street children on the job.Another area concerns the need for socialising at work. The majority of childreninterviewed prefer to work in teams and hence jobs where employees must work alone maynot be entirely appropriate for street children. The type of work street children like is alsoanother area of consideration for employers. Most children interviewed said they likedroutine work, but less girls than boys like physically demanding work. The managementstyle and personality or characteristics of an employer also play a major role in determininglong term retention of street children on the job.

Recommendations

While many lessons were identified by the research, future recommendations were alsomade. One important recommendation was increasing access to information on the needs of the current and future labour market. This research indicated that the majority of stakeholders lacked information on labour market needs and therefore more informationshould be gathered and disseminated to all, particularly training providers. The need toincrease awareness of the specific issues of street children through additional research wasanother important recommendation of this research. Reducing the barriers to attendingtraining and gaining employment for street children is vital. While raising the children’sawareness on what training courses and jobs are available to them is pertinent for their future success.




1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 The Context

Despite the dramatic economic progress of the last decade, Vietnam is still a very poor country with GNP per capita of US $420. Out of a population of 80 million, every year some 1.4 million young people leave school and enter the job market where there is alreadyunder- and unemployment. In addition, 65% of Vietnamese live in rural areas where jobsare scarce and so there is a continuous and gradual migration towards urban centres such asHo Chi Minh City (HCMC).

In socio-economic terms, HCMC is the most developed city in Vietnam. This growth hasresulted in a rapid increase in the city’s population with migrants moving to HCMC insearch for work. Many school age children from these families are forced to find work,however some are unable to find a job because they have limited or no job skills. Thosethat undertake a vocational training course may have insufficient education to successfully

complete the course and thus must take an unstable job on the street. Providing support toassist children who are of the minimum legal working age (15 years and over) in obtaining job skills in order to gain employment is essential. Access to training for employment is inhigh demand from these children which is why providing vocational training programmesis a common strategy amongst many international and local organisations. However,success rates of training and employment for these children remain low despite HCMChaving the highest level of economic development in the country.

Although there is a wealth of experience available on how to improve vocational trainingservices to children in HCMC, this experience remains dispersed in an environment whichis not conducive to sharing of information. Both children living and working on the street

and potential employers – the major stakeholders– have no direct input to the design of vocational training programmes. Information appears to be limited for all stakeholders:

- children lack information about existing training, job opportunities and recruitment processes;

- training centres lack information about children’s skills and interests, and about theneeds of the current and future labour market;

- potential employers lack information about schemes that support socially excludedchildren to secure formal employment, and about children living and working on thestreet, which prejudices their view of this potentially attractive sector of the workforce.

1.2 Objectives of Research

After completing the literature review (see section 3) it became apparent that street childrenin HCMC lacked vital information and access to vocational training and employmentopportunities. Therefore, this research is based on the following four objectives:- To identify what types of vocational training is most suited to street children in HCMC- To identify what types of vocational training meet the needs of the current and future

labour market in HCMC




- To identify the most suitable jobs for street children in HCMC- To identify the most suitable jobs which meet the needs of the current and future labour

market in HCMC

This research will attempt to overcome the lack of information sharing by providing therelevant authorities, vocational training centres, potential employers and job service centreswith important information on the interests and preferences of street children with regard tovocational training and employment. This knowledge in turn will help to improve thecurrent services for street children and hopefully enable their access to suitable vocationaltraining programmes and employment opportunities.

1.3 Definition of “Street Children”

For the purposes of this research the authors have used the following definition whenreferring to the term “Street Children”:

“Street Children” are defined as: children and adolescents in HCMC up to 18 yearsold who do not attend formal school or from 18-22 years old who did not graduatefrom level/grade 9 (secondary school) and

• work on the streets or

• sleep on the streets or

• live in a shelter/ open house for street children.

Please note: This definition applies to the term “Street Children” throughout this reportunless otherwise stated.

2 METHODOLOGY

2.1 Participants

Representatives from the following groups were selected to participate in face to faceinterviews:

Target Groups

Number of

Participants

Street Children (2 Groups x 20) 40

International Organisations working in HCMC 10

Relevant Authorities and Government Agencies in HCMC 10Directors and Personnel Managers of Businesses in HCMC 15

Job Service Centres in HCMC 5

Directors and Staff of Vocational Training Programmes for the General Public in HCMC

10

Directors and Staff of Vocational Training Programmes for Street Children in HCMC

10

Total 100




Selection of participants was based on the following criteria: (for a list of organisations

selected to participate in the research, please refer to Appendix 1)

• Street Children (2 Groups)

Group 1:- 20 potential clients (10 boys and 10 girls) who have not attended vocational training asyet and are not employed.

- Ages 15-20 years.- Are street children.Group 2:- 20 potential employees (10 boys and 10 girls) who have attended vocational training

and who may have or may not have been employed.- Aged 16-25 years.- Have been street children.

•

International Organisations Working in HCMC- That support vocational training- That work with street children

• Relevant Authorities and Government Agencies in HCMC

- District and/or city level- Responsible for: 1. Vocational training programmes and/or

2. Vocational training programmes for street children

• Directors and Personnel Managers of Businesses in HCMC

- That represent the most relevant business sectors for street children

- Employ personnel who did not graduate from high school (level/grade 12).

• Job Service Centres in HCMC

- That work with potential employees who did not graduate from high school(level/grade 12)

- From either Government or Private sector

• Directors and Staff of Vocational Training Programmes for the General Public in

HCMC

- Provide vocational training to the general public- From either Government or Private sector

• Directors and Staff of Vocational Training Programmes for Street Children in

HCMC

- Provide vocational training for street children- From either Government or Private sector




2.2 Location and Time of research

Interviews with participants from selected target groups were conducted in 12 Districtscovering a comprehensive area of HCMC. (For further details of the location of target

groups interviewed, please refer to Appendix 1).

The interviews for data collection commenced on 8 July 2002 and were completed by 24January 2003.

2.3 Research tools

A literature review was composed to help identify appropriate research questions as well asimportant areas of focus that were used as a basis for the research. The literature reviewalso helped to identify the most appropriate target groups for the research (as mentionedabove).

The data for the research was gathered through the use of structured questionnaires duringface to face interviews. Prior to conducting the interviews, questionnaires were testedamongst the target groups to ensure that the most comprehensive information could beobtained during the interviews and that both the interviewers and interviewees understoodthe questions. Conducting the interviews face to face allowed for further probing or explanation during the interview.

The questionnaires used for the research have been provided in the Appendices section (see

Appendix 2) at the end of this report.

After interviews with each target group were completed, group discussions were planned

to gather more information and to clarify any information that was unclear. Unfortunately,this method was not very successful due to time constraints of participants. A secondquestionnaire was sent to all participants, as an alternative method, containing questionsthat would have been addressed at the group discussion. The procedure of using theseresearch tools has been detailed below:

• Street Children (2 Groups)

After the interviews, group discussions were held simultaneously with both Group 1 andGroup 2. One boy and two girls attended the discussion for Group 1. The low attendancewas due to the police taking the rest of the children to a shelter far from the place where thegroup discussion was held because they were sleeping on the streets. For Group 2, only

three boys and seven girls attended the group discussion because the other children had towork or were too far from the meeting place to attend the discussion. All children wereinformed in advance of the time and date of the group discussion.

• Relevant Authorities and Government Agencies in HCMC

After the interviews a group discussion was organised. Five out of ten participants attendedthe group discussion, with only one having been interviewed (four other work colleagueswere sent in the interviewees place). All other participants were too busy to attend.




• International Organisations Working in HCMC

As the information obtained during the interviews from this target group was almostcomplete, a group discussion was not considered necessary. Instead, an email was sent toall participants with a number of ranking exercises. Six out of ten participants replied to the

email with their responses to the ranking exercises.

• Directors and Staff of Vocational Training Programmes for the General Public in

HCMC

After the interviews, participants were invited to attend the group discussion, however onlytwo out of ten accepted the invitation. The remaining participants were either too busy toattend or could not be contacted so the decision was made to not conduct the groupdiscussion. Instead, a prepaid envelope addressed to EFD and letter with specific questionsthat would otherwise have been addressed in the group discussion was mailed to all participants. One out of ten letters was returned with a completed questionnaire.

•

Directors and Staff of Vocational Training Programmes for Street Children inHCMC

After the interviews, participants were invited to attend the group discussion, however nonewere available to attend. Instead, a prepaid envelope addressed to EFD and letter withspecific questions that would otherwise have been addressed in the group discussion wasmailed to all participants. Two out of ten letters were returned with their completedquestionnaires.

• Job Service Centres in HCMC

After the interviews, participants were invited to attend the group discussion, however nonewere available to attend. Instead, a prepaid envelope addressed to EFD and letter with

specific questions that would otherwise have been addressed in the group discussion wasmailed to all participants. One out of five letters was returned with a completedquestionnaire.

• Directors and Personnel Managers of Businesses in HCMCAfter the interviews, participants were invited to attend the group discussion, however nonewere available to attend. Instead, a prepaid envelope addressed to EFD and letter withspecific questions that would otherwise have been addressed in the group discussion wasmailed to all participants Two out of fifteen letters were returned with their completedquestionnaires.

2.4 Interviewers

A diverse team of interviewers was used to gather information for this research. The teamincluded both national and international staff from the HCWF, EFD and one localConsultancy Group: Bureau of Counselling for Children and Family. All interviewers were briefed on the questionnaires and interview technique before conducting the interviews.The degree of interviewing experience amongst the team varied greatly which had animpact on the level of responses gathered from participants.




2.5 Limitations

The following methodological limitations were identified:

• The extensive length of the questionnaires and the limited time of participants resultedin incomplete questionnaires.

• The need for 90 separate interview responses to be translated into English fromVietnamese (with the exception of 10 interviews from “International OrganisationsWorking in HCMC” as they were conducted in English) increased the risk of incorrectresponses being recorded.

• Busy work schedules of participants resulted in very few attending the discussiongroups, or the wrong participants attending, therefore minimal information andverification of data was obtained through this method. An alternative method was used(sending a questionnaire to participants) which resulted in just over 10% response rateso that data is still incomplete in certain areas.

• The sample size of the target groups was too small. There were also too many samplegroups for their responses to be considered fully representative of each group.

3 LITERATURE REVIEW

A review of the current literature available on street children and vocational traininghighlighted 3 main issues:

3.1 “Street Child” Specific Issues

A common reality for street children is that they often do not have the same supportnetworks as other children. A street child’s family unit is rarely together and therefore these

children lack access to the parental guidance and support vital to their psychologicaldevelopment and growth. Without the support network of a family structure, street childrenoften compensate by developing networks with other street children that do not always leadto positive consequences for the child. The street child tends to develop personalitycharacteristics that are particular to life on the street, which can also result in negative behaviours in a work or training environment (Hegenauer and Hegenauer, 1995). In particular, behaviours such as hyperactivity and a lack of concentration, which mayindicate the presence of a condition known as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), have beencited as common in street children (Vu, 1995 and Binh, et al, 1995).

3.2 Training IssuesMany issues have been highlighted with regard to training, some of which refer directly to particular personality characteristics already mentioned above. One common issue was thehigh number of children who drop out of training programmes (Hegenauer and Hegenauer,1995). Reasons for dropping out are numerous and include both tangible and intangiblefactors.




The more tangible factors relate to the location of the training centres. Some trainingcentres are inconvenient for street children to access as they have limited means of transport (Vu, 1995). Another factor is the high cost of training (these costs include bothdirect and indirect costs) (Vu, 1995). The training provided to street children often has

limited resources and less qualified teachers as well as courses that are not tied to the needsof the labour market (UNICEF, 1997). Access to training is also limited for these childrenas they may not possess the identification papers and residence permits required to enrol ina training course (Bond, 2000).

The intangible factors relate to the unique characteristics and educational background of the children themselves. Frequently children would drop out of training programmes due tothe fact that life on the street was immediately more rewarding than attending training(Hegenauer and Hegenauer, 1995). On the street, children can interact with those in their support network and also earn money which is of primary concern for their survival(MOLISA, 5/1999). Their perceived lack of direction or desire to change their existing

circumstances, through attending training, also gives the impression to potential employersof laziness on behalf of the child (Binh, et al, 1995). The low level of basic education streetchildren commonly possess also affects retention levels, particularly in the case wherechildren do not grasp the concepts as quickly as other students and become bored and dropout of the course (Binh, et al, 1995). In many cases street children were not given theopportunity to choose which training they want to attend and so they are not motivated tostudy and once again return to the street to work (Binh, et al, 1995).

According to the literature review, the lessons learnt focus on the provision of alternativeteaching methods that cater to the children’s personality and level of education to ensurethat they remain appropriately challenged throughout the training (Binh, et al, 1995). Introducing flexible training schedules (UNICEF, 1997b and Theis, 2002) that allowchildren to work and learn at the same time have proven to be beneficial (Hegenauer andHegenauer, 1995, Vu, 1995 and Binh, et al, 1995). Also the inclusion of play, social or leisure activities as part of the training is important for the psychological development of the child (MOLISA, 5/1999) which is often ignored when developing training programmes(UNICEF – New York, 1997). By ensuring that training is relevant to the labour marketand that jobs are available on completion of a course, street children will be more inclinedto complete the training (Ennew, 1994)

3.3 Employment Issues

Issues relating to employment for street children are closely linked to the issues raisedabove. As already mentioned, the particular personality characteristics of street childrenmay manifest into negative behaviours at work. The apparent unfamiliarity of thesecharacteristics on behalf of the employer usually adds to the problem (Vu, 1995).Educating employers on the needs of street children and their personality traits is necessaryin securing and maintaining jobs for these children (Vu, 1995). Studies show that streetchildren consider, after family and relatives, a good or stable job as most important to themwhich is encouraging for employers (Bond, 2000). Also effectively orienting and preparingstreet children for employment may help to reduce these issues.




Evidence suggests that the reason why children leave their job is in part due to the lowsalaries children receive whilst at work (Duong, 1995). The fact that street children canearn up to twice as much or even more working on the street is considered one of the

advantages of being on the street (Duong, 1995). Therefore, employers must be able tooffer both financial and non-financial incentives that keep street children from leaving their employment. Employers must also not neglect the psycho-social development of streetchildren by incorporating social activities such as team building exercises into the workingroutine and hence improve retention levels of their employees (Save the Children UK,1995 and UNICEF – New York, 1997).

4 RESULTS OF THE RESEARCH

4.1 Vocational Training

4.1.1 Training Programmes for Street Children

Of the male and female street children interviewed who had not attended training previously, most did not know what training was available to them. However, 90% of allgirls interviewed and 70% of all boys interviewed said they would like to attend a trainingcourse so that they could get a stable job, improve their current situation and supportthemselves or their families. The most preferred training course chosen by six out of ninegirls was sewing/tailor courses and four out of seven boys chose motorbike or car repair courses (no predetermined options were provided for the children when asking thisquestion). These statistics are reflected by the street children interviewed who actually haveattended, or are currently attending, training courses. For these children, the majority of girls attend tailor courses (seven out of ten) and four out of ten boys are attending vehiclerepair courses.

Interviewees from Government agencies also believe that the most successful training programmes for children without a high school education are vehicle repair, sewing/tailor with the addition of carpentry. This group defines “success” to include the situation wherethe students apply what they have learnt from the training course and can get a job in their field of study. Participants who work in International organisations also mentioned, albeitto a much lesser extent, vehicle repair and sewing/tailor courses as successful for thesechildren for the same reasons mentioned above. Participants who provide trainingspecifically to street children also state that sewing/tailor courses and motorbike repair courses are successful because they meet the needs of businesses and students can get a jobupon graduating from the course. Contrary to this, participants who provide training to thegeneral public believe that electronics and basic computer skill courses are most successfulwith students, but the majority have defined this success on high grades and highattendance levels and not on the outcomes of training such as getting a job.

There was a general consensus between target groups on what training programmes wereunsuccessful with street children. Most groups mentioned that unsuccessful training




programmes were ones that taught high technical skills (such as software design), were toolong, did not provide much opportunity to practice skills learned due to lack of equipmentand were too expensive. Participants took into consideration outcomes when determiningthe success rate of training programmes. A common outcome mentioned was that training

courses did not meet the demands of the labour market and that there were no jobs for graduates of training.

When asked what they believe is the most suitable training programme for street children, participants from International organisations addressed each of the issues of unsuccessfultraining programmes highlighted in the paragraph above. Table 1 identifies their specificcomments which have been ranked from the most suitable to the least suitable training programme. Eight out of ten participants from Government agencies also believe the mostsuitable training programmes are short term and do not require high educational levels. Animportant addition identified by this target group is that the course should be scheduled sothat students can work and study at the same time. The majority of participants who

provide training to the general public again state that motorbike repair and sewing/tailor courses are the most suitable for street children because they can easily get a job in thesefields and hence immediately secure a stable income.

Table 1: Identification of suitable training programmes according to participants from International organisations

Training Programme

1. Practical skills focused (apprenticeship/on the job training)2. Training that has a work experience component so they can get a job

3. Short term training programmes

4. Cheap or free training programmes

5. Exciting or original courses which don’t require previous skills in the field

6. Whatever training programme that is suited to their skills/abilities

Girls who had not attended training described an ideal training programme as providingfree tuition and having an enthusiastic teacher. Other comments made included the trainingcentre being located near their house, that the training course enabled them to get a job and

that the teacher did not beat the students. The top four things to describe an ideal training programme for boys who had not attended training were an enthusiastic and encouragingteacher that provided practical guidance and free tuition. Other things included: motivatedand skilled teachers; humorous teachers; well equipped centre; teachers who do not beatapprentices; training centre located near to their house; and on the job trainingopportunities. For those girls who had attended training, the teachers dedication and skilllevel was considered highly. The boys, however, considered the practical component of acourse to be very important.




It is interesting to note that during the interviews, all girls who had attended training saidthere was nothing they did not like about the training course they attended. However, in thegroup discussion the response was very different. The following is a list of things thefemale participants said they did not like about the training programme they attended: lack

of attention from instructors; instructors keeping career information from students; unfair treatment during practice from instructors; being asked to do work that is not related towhat they are studying; not learning new skills; being discriminated against by age(instructors pay more attention to adults than to children); privileges are given to highlyeducated apprentices; sexual harassment from instructors; and beatings from instructors(with their hand or a ruler). Four out of ten boys said there was nothing they did not likeabout the training course. Others said they did not like the lack of teaching equipment, hightuition fees, and instructors not being enthusiastic.

4.1.2 Street Children and Vocational Training: The Issues

The common needs and problems of street children with relation to vocational training wasaddressed directly with two target groups, International organisations and Governmentagencies, and indirectly with both groups of training providers. Three out of ten participants in Government agencies said there were no needs or problems, another threesaid they did not know what the needs or problems were and the remaining participantsnoted that limited funds and time children have for training was an issue. Participants fromInternational organisations made more extensive comments with regard to these issues. SeeTable 2 and Table 3 below which identify these issues in detail.

Table 2: Common issues identified in the area of vocational training with relation to street

children (ranked from most common to least common)

Issue Identified

1. Minimum education entry level requirements for training centres are too high

2. Traditional vocational training does not meet the needs of the labour market

3. Cost of training programmes is expensive for children

4. Training centres require birth certificates/residence papers for enrolment

5. Limited scope of training for the sexes (for example, motorbike repair for boys,sewing or hairdressing for girls)

6. Limited knowledge of the labour market (Government, NGOs, and localorganisations)

7. Length of training programmes (Too long? Too short?)

8. Training centres are not located near street children

9. Trainers are paid poorly so it is hard to get well qualified trainers




Table 3: Common issues identified in the area of street children with relation to vocational

training (ranked from most common to least common)

Issue Identified

1. Children need training that has real jobs at the end

2. Children don’t want to leave the streets because they can earn money

3. Drop out rate is high – children not interested in course, not committed3. Children are unwilling or unable to travel long distances to get to training centres(equal ranking)

4. Children have no money for training so there is more demand than supply for freevocational training programmes

5. Children come from rural areas so they don’t have birth certificates/residence papers

6. Minimal education of children means that training courses need to be longer

Comments from training providers highlight some of the issues above. Participants who provide training to the general public focus more on the limitations of their trainingfacilities by making note of the old equipment, small space for training, substandardinfrastructure and less qualified teachers. On the contrary, participants who provide trainingspecifically to street children focus more on the children’s limitations such as high drop outrates due to the pressure of having to work and study at the same time, low education levelsand children not having tools and materials to practice the skills they learn in the trainingcourse.

4.1.3 Labour Market Needs – current and future

Table 4 details what participants from businesses believe are the training programmes mostin demand by the current labour market for personnel without a high school education.When asked what they believe are the training programmes most in demand for the futurelabour market, approximately half of participants did not know. This statistic highlights thelimited information managers of businesses have on the needs of the future labour market.One participant from this target group believes that handicraft skills are most in demand for the future labour market because the government is encouraging people to develophandicraft businesses.




Table 4: Training programmes most in demand by the current labour market according to

participants from businesses

Training Programmes

(ranked from most in demand to least in demand)1. Motorbike repair 1. Service jobs like house work (equal ranking)

2. Hospitality/Tourism

3. Manual unskilled labour

4. Carpenters4. Simple technical jobs (equal ranking)

5. Painters

6. Foreign languages

7. Electricity/electronics7. Computer skills (equal ranking)

Participants from International organisations believe that Hospitality and Tourism skills,including English language tuition, is required to meet the future labour market needs, aswell as computer skills and trade skills. Participants who provide training to the general public provided a limited response with seven out of ten stating that training programmesin electronics meet the needs of the current labour market. No other responses were provided. For the future labour market, one participant from this target group believes thatweb design courses meet its demands. No other responses were provided which againhighlights the limited amount of information this target groups has on the needs of thelabour market, both current and future.

Participants who provide specific training for street children gave more detailed responseswith regard to the needs of the current and future labour market. Table 5 and Table 6 detailresponses from this target group.

Table 5: Training programmes most in demand by the current labour market according to

participants who provide training to street children

Training Programmes

(ranked from most in demand to least in demand)

1. Industrial sewing

2. Motorcycle repair 3. English4. Tailoring5. Shoe making6. Hair dresser

7. Embroidery

7. Chef (equal ranking)8. Wood carving9. Computer 10. Photography11. Electronics




Table 6: Training programmes most in demand by the future labour market according to

participants who provide training to street children

Training Programmes

(ranked from most in demand to least in demand) 1. Motorcycle repair 1. Computer 1. English language (equal ranking)

2. Tailoring

3. Chef

4. Hair dresser

5. Shoe making

4.1.4 Government Regulations and Vocational Training

Participants from International organisations believe government regulations aid thetraining of street children by providing financial support and permitting them to legallytrain for a job before they turn 16. However, half of these participants believe governmentregulations hinder the provision of training through the requirement of ID papers andresident permits or by imposing high entry level requirements, such as education level or health checks. Participants from Government agencies agree that regulations aid training by providing financial support for job training. Two participants from this group alsoacknowledge that the requirement for resident permits from these children may haveexcluded them from attending training. This barrier to training becomes relevant when theenrolment criteria for two training centres which specifically cater to street children is anID card and resident permit. Enrolment criteria in two training centres for the general

public are a birth certificate and three other training centres require a resident permit.

4.1.5 Barriers to Training

The majority of children interviewed who have not attended training said that having “nomoney or time” was the main reason for not attending a training course. Cost wasconsidered the main barrier, with fees and opportunity costs being the most difficult costfor girls and fees and transport costs being the most difficult for boys. All of these girls andeight out of ten boys said they could not make any contribution to the cost of training. Thecost of fees and tools of those children who have attended training were covered by anexternal party.

All participants working in International organisations and 90% of participants inGovernment organisations are aware that costs of training make it difficult for streetchildren to attend training, with the majority of participants stating that it is both direct andindirect costs that are the most difficult for them to meet. Interestingly 50% of participantswho provide training to the general public believe street children do not experience any barriers to training. Four believe the main barrier is their low level of education and two believe it is the cost of training. The main barrier identified by participants who provide




training to street children was their low education level followed by the lack of tools andmoney. Other barriers noted by this target group were more varied and include: the lack of ID papers; no accommodation; that most have to work and study at the same time; and the“inconsistent characteristics” of street children.

Several suggestions were made by all participants to overcome these barriers to training.The main comment concerning the provision of free training or more funding for training.An interesting comment made by one participant from an International organisation was to provide children with a loan for training so that they would be more committed to thetraining as they have to repay the loan after they get a job. Other suggestions included the provision of meals, accommodation, transport, uniforms, equipment/tools, teachers providing personal guidance and support, counselling children on their behaviour, andmotivating the children with rewards for learning.

4.1.6 Lessons for Training Centres

The paragraph above suggests that the provision of personal guidance and support for streetchildren will help them to overcome barriers to training. All participants working for International organisations and 80% of participants in Government agencies also agree.This was also reflected by the children who have not received training, where the majoritystate that a training centre should provide personal guidance and support. However, 70% of girls and 90% of boys who have attended training said they did not receive any personalguidance and support from the training centre. This is contradictory to the view that 100%of participants who provide training for street children said they provide personal guidanceand support to students, although only three examples were provided (i.e. practicalguidance, career forums, and job counselling). The author believes that the reason for such

conflicting results was due to a misinterpretation of the term “personal guidance andsupport” by participants.

Similarly, the provision of meals and accommodation was a suggestion made by participants to overcome barriers to training for street children. As expected, most childreninterviewed who had not attended training thought that a training centre should provide both meals and accommodation to students. This was not the case for those childrenactually attending training as only two centres for both boys and girls provided both mealsand accommodation. Participants working for International organisations and Governmentagencies were not all convinced that the provision of meals and accommodation was theduty of a training centre (30% of each group actually said they should not provide either).

However, for both target groups the provision of meals was much more popular than the provision of accommodation. In reality, 80% of training centres for street children and 70%of centres for the general public do not provide meals or accommodation to students.

Half of girls and just under half of boys interviewed who have not attended training yet believe a training centre should help them find a job after training. All participants workingfor International organisations and 90% of Government workers hold the same belief.Suggestions on how this could be achieved include: facilitating work experience with potential employers; making contact with businesses and introducing students; and




teaching the children how to job search for themselves through an employment service. Of those children attending training, 50% of girls and 50% of boys said that they had receivedassistance with finding a job from the training centre, however no examples of how theyreceived help were provided. Of participants who provide training to the general public

90% said they were involved in job placements through introductions and letters of recommendation to potential employers. However, only 30% of participants who providetraining for street children help with job search through introductions to potentialemployers.

Almost all managers of businesses believe that on the job training is the most effectiveteaching method for personnel without a high school education. This is because they canlearn a skill and practice on the job whilst earning money at the same time. The fact thateleven out of fifteen managers provide on the job training reflects this strong belief. All participants within the Government target group agree with the managers of businesses.This method is also ranked highly amongst other target groups. Apprenticeships are ranked

as the second most effective method of training, except with participants from Internationalorganisations who rank them as the most effective because they combine theory and practice. A combination of theory and practice is also adopted by both groups of training providers who believe this is a very effective teaching method.

4.2 Employment

4.2.1 Importance of Work

In the interviews, 50% of girls who have not attended training said that the most importantaspect of work is to earn a lot of money. However, the discussion group held with the girls

revealed that finding a job they liked and settling down and getting confidence from their employer ranked in equal importance to earning lots of money. Other factors such as doingwell in the job, employers paying the correct salary and having many customers or a lot of work, were ranked in succession after the first three points noted above (from the most tothe least important aspects of work). For the boys earning money to support themselves or their family still ranked as the most important aspect of work, as it did for those children, both boys and girls, who had attended training.

All target groups (except both groups of training providers) were asked why they would, or think street children would, leave employment. The details of responses are provided inAppendix 3. Poor salary or low income featured as a common reason for quitting a job and

it is interesting to note how it was ranked in each target group. “Low salary” was ranked asthe second most common reason to leave a job for girls who had not attended training andthe least common reason for the boys. This ranking for the boys cannot be said to berepresentative of the group as only one boy attended the discussion group and undertook the ranking exercise.

Of the children interviewed who had attended training and who had also been employed,80% of girls and 70% of boys said they had never quit a job before. Of those that had, the




reasons did not involve income, but rather because they did not like the work or it was toohard, boring or stressful. Nevertheless, these children still ranked low salary as the thirdmost common reason why they would quit their job. Participants from Internationalorganisations ranked low income as the number one reason why street children would leave

employment, but only one participant out of ten from Government agencies said it was themost common reason. The most common reason for this group was family difficulties with70% of participants stating this reason.

Managers from businesses also did not think that low income was the most common reasonto leave employment and ranked it tenth, with “not liking the job and not followingcompany regulations” as the most common reason. Participants from Job Service Centresdisagreed and stated that the main reason why street children leave work is due to lowsalary.

4.2.2 Jobs for Street Children

The most popular job for girls who had not attended training was sewing/tailor (50%) andfor boys vehicle repair, which is representative of the most popular training courses thesegroups selected (as discussed above). For the girls, picking up bottles and selling Lotterytickets were the least popular, but 80% of boys did not know what jobs they would not liketo do as they said they would do any job.

Similarly, the girls who had attended training said they would also like to do sewing/tailor (6) and hairdressing (4). Vehicle repair was also popular with the boys who have attendedtraining. The girls in this target group were more specific about the kind of jobs they wouldnot like to do. These include physically demanding jobs, theft, jobs in “bad” environments

(like cafes and bars), low salary jobs, working on the street all day, jobs that don’t payovertime, jobs with no fixed work schedule, and jobs that don’t give children more time for study. The boys simply mentioned they do not like to pick up bottles, be a vendor or doconstruction work.

Participants from International organisations believe that the jobs most suitable for streetchildren are those which use practical skills, are easy to understand, have close contact witha mentor, and are in safe, non-exploitative environments. For example, manual jobs, office jobs, Hospitality or Tourism jobs or those jobs which have promotional opportunities thatkeep children motivated. Participants from Government agencies tend to reflect the viewsof the children when they rank the most suitable jobs for street children such as motorbike

repair and sewing/tailor (see Table 7 below for list of suitable jobs). The participants believe these are the most suitable jobs because they suit the children’s capacity and thechildren can be paid on a daily or weekly basis.




Table 7: Most suitable jobs for street children according to participants from Government

agencies

Most suitable jobs

(ranked from most suitable to least suitable)1. Motorbike repair

2. Tailor/sewing

3. Carpenter

4. Shoe making

5. Builder

6. Small business/production6. Handicraft6. Wood carving (equal ranking)

7. Factory work

4.2.3 Government Regulations and EmploymentParticipants working for International organisations believe government regulations can aidthe employment of street children by setting age restrictions to protect them fromexploitation, but then hinder their employment by requiring ID papers, resident permits andhealth checks in order to get a job. Participants from Government agencies agree that therequirement of ID papers and resident permits does in fact hinder the employment of streetchildren, but state that the regulations do aid these children through financial means andcreating advantageous conditions for children to find employment. Managers of businessalso agree that the requirement of ID papers and residence permits hinder their employment, although participants from Job Service Centres did not note these hindrancesstating that all government regulations aid the employment of street children.

4.2.4 Labour Market Needs – current and future

Participants working in Government agencies consider the current labour market for children without a high school education centred around handicrafts and small business production as well as selling Lottery tickets and shining shoes. Their comments on theneeds of the future labour market are reflected in Table 8 (below).

Table 8: Jobs which meet the future labour market needs according to participants from

Government agencies

Jobs for the future labour market

(ranked from most popular to least popular)

1. Motorbike repair 2. Tailor/sewing3. Carpenter 4. Industrial sewing5. Mechanics6. Machine repair 7. Basic electronics

8. Embroidery and knitting9. Marketing10.Electricity in technical works11.Computer skills12.High technical skills13.Foreign language skills




Two out of five participants who work for Job Service Centres believe the future labour market will require more vocationally trained workers or those with high technical skills.These participants make the important point that there will be an increasing need for trained Vietnamese workers to replace foreign experts in the future.

4.2.5 Why Graduates of Training Programmes do not find employment

The most common reasons why graduates do not find employment, according to participants who provide training to the general public, are that they do not have enoughskills or experience and that there is too much competition for jobs. Other reasons include:they are not professional enough; their ambitions are too high; the salary they want is toohigh; they lack the will to find a job; and that there is no demand for their skills (no jobsavailable). Participants who provide training to street children believe that graduates of their courses do not find jobs due to their low education level, low skill level, they do notwant to work overtime or shift work, and that there is no one to guarantee their

recommendation for employment.

4.2.6 Unsafe Work Environment

The environments children consider unsafe are generally representative of their currentstatus as workers. For example, the girls from both target groups were more likely to focuson the exploitative or abusive dangers at work, such as sexual harassment or “foulmouthed” colleagues, whereas boys focused more on the physical environments such asdirty/unhygienic environments or dangerous places such as construction sites. The boysalso noted that beatings/scolding from an employer was also an unsafe workingenvironment where they would not work.

All participants from Government agencies and International organisations recognised bothexploitative or physically dangerous environments as unsafe for street children. Thesetarget groups also consider working on the street an unsafe environment for street children.However, exploitative/abusive dangers were not mentioned by managers of businesses whofocused primarily on the physically dangerous environments such as fire/chemical hazardsand dangerous machinery. Three managers said that there were no safety issues in their organisations and another three did not know what the issues were with regard to safety.

4.2.7 Characteristics of Employers

The children interviewed provided a number of characteristics that they did and did not likeabout employers (see Appendix 4 for detailed lists of these characteristics). In general, thechildren tended to state similar characteristics. They wanted a happy, helpful employer anddid not want one that was overly strict and who scolds employees. Their opinions areimportant to note especially when all children consider the ‘bad’ characteristics of anemployer a good reason to leave a job (see Appendix 3). Also important to note is thatapproximately half of managers of businesses that employ street children consider their management style as ‘participative’.




4.2.8 Long Term and Short Term Contracts

Half of the girls and 30% of boys who had not attended training previously said they wouldstay with a good employer for the long term. None of the girls mentioned they would stayfor the short term at all. Of both boys and girls who had attended training, 70% said they

would also prefer to stay in a job long term. Participants from Government agencies all believe that street children are more likely to be employed in short term contracts, as do themajority of participants working for Job Service Centres and training providers for thegeneral public and street children. These groups also believe, with the exception of participants who provide training specifically to street children, that short term contractsare more beneficial for the career development of these children, although no reasons weregiven as to why they hold this belief. Half of the participants working in Internationalorganisations believe that street children are more likely to be employed in short termcontracts, but the majority do not believe they are more beneficial than long term contracts.This is because they believe long term contracts offer stability to the children’s lives andwill enable them to increase their level of skills and experience on the job.

According to managers from businesses that employ street children, a slightly higher percentage state that children are employed in long term contracts than short term. Over half of participants in this target group believe that long term contracts are more beneficialfor the career development of street children because it gives the children time to adjust tothe job and to working life, have a more stable life, helps foster a relationship of trust between the employer and employee, and gives them time to improve their skills.

4.2.9 Socialising at Work

The majority of children interviewed placed a very high importance on socialising with

colleagues at work and working with other people instead of working individually. On the job, two thirds of managers interviewed said that their staff work in teams with theremaining one third stating their staff work individually. Twelve managers said there wasan opportunity for staff to socialise at work and only two said there was no opportunity for socialising.

4.2.10 Salary and Benefits

Half of children interviewed, both boys and girls, who have not yet attended training wouldconsider approximately 500,000 to 600,000 VND as their minimum monthly salary (thelowest being 300,000 VND and the highest being 1,000,000 VND). The salary range for children who have attended training was more evenly spread between 300,000 VND to1,000,000 VND with the girls accepting a lower amount than the boys per month. In termsof benefits they want from the employer, all children interviewed said they wanted a stablesalary which was paid on time and that they were not expected to work too much overtime.Some mentioned benefits such as accommodation and meal allowances, medical insurance, job security, and advanced notice before termination of a contract.




On the job, the minimum monthly salary that managers of businesses pay their employeesranges from 200,000 VND to 1,150,000 VND. This range falls below the children’sminimum expectation and goes just slightly higher than their top estimate. This indicatesthat the children may not hold a realistic view of wages offered by businesses. Also in

terms of benefits, most employers provide uniforms and meal subsidies, but very few provide assistance with accommodation costs.

4.2.11 Type of work – routine/physically demanding

Most managers said the type of work street children undertook in their work places was physically demanding and also that the work was generally routine in nature. Almost allchildren interviewed indicated that they liked routine work, but less girls than boys saidthey like physically demanding work.

4.2.12 Training Whilst at Work Seventy percent of children who have not attended training and almost 100% of childrenwho have attended training, consider receiving training at work either important or veryimportant.

4.2.13 Conditions of Employment

Participants working for Job Service Centres and training centres for the general public didnot know what the conditions of employment were for street children. Participants fromtraining centres who provide training for street children said that the conditions are usuallygood if they work for large organisations (i.e. 8 hour day with only occasional overtimewith a salary range from 300,000 VND to 1,500,000 VND per month).

Participants working for International organisations believe that general conditions of employment for street children include the following: lower salary than others compared tothe hours they work; longer hours; lack of protective equipment; routine work; labour intensive work; and little responsibility in their jobs. This group also states that the mostappropriate conditions of employment are the same conditions as other Vietnameseworkers or Western workers, written contracts which both parties understand, flexible work schedules that allow them to work/study, and well paid jobs with benefits such as meals.

Participants working for Government agencies believe that general conditions of employment for street children include the following: simple jobs with low responsibility,salary paid immediately, flexible working times and low salary. This group also states thatthe most appropriate conditions of employment for street children are salary paid on a dailyand weekly basis, simple jobs, stable jobs, and that employers understand the children andcare for them.




5 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Conclusions

The main objective of this research was to identify the most suitable training programmesand jobs for street children in relation to the needs of the current and future labour market.While many different jobs and training courses were identified throughout the research, themost frequently mentioned was sewing/tailor courses for girls and motorbike repair coursesfor boys. This is not to suggest that the only jobs and training programmes suitable for street children are sewing/tailor for girls and motorbike repair for boys, but it doeshighlight the importance of the labour market in determining suitability and future success.Thus one main lesson learned from the research is that training programmes which have jobs at the end prove to be the most suitable for street children. The fact that only a limitednumber of training courses and jobs were identified as meeting the needs of the current andfuture labour market indicates that participants might lack vital information about thelabour market to make more informed suggestions.

With regard to suitable training programmes for street children, other lessons learnt werenumerous. The most important lessons highlight the need for short term courses that arecheap or free, conveniently located and practical skills focused. The programmes shouldalso allow street children to work and study at the same time since earning money is animportant part of their daily survival. From the children’s perspective, the dedication,enthusiasm and skill level of the teacher was also very important. Providing cheap or freetraining to street children will help to overcome one of the main barriers to attendingtraining these children are faced with, i.e. cost of training. The fact that nearly all childreninterviewed said that they could not make any contribution to the cost of training highlightsthe need for free tuition.

Government regulations requiring the provision of ID papers and residence permits toattend training and to get a job prove to be a substantial hindrance to the training andemployment of street children. This is because the majority of these children do not possesssuch documentation due to their current circumstances of living on the street. Overcomingthis barrier is a major challenge for the community as a whole.

From the data other information was collected which include lessons for training centresand employers with regard to street children and their particular needs. For training centres,the provision of personal guidance and support was considered by most target groups asvery important. Similarly, most participants believe that a training centre should help street

children find a job after training through introductions to potential employers andfacilitating work experience opportunities. The provision of meals and accommodation wasnot considered the responsibility of a training centre, although the provision of meals wasconsidered more important than the provision of accommodation. As already mentionedabove, the practical component of a training course is considered a highly effective methodof teaching for street children which is also an important lesson for training centres.Generally speaking, a combination of both practical and theoretical teaching methodsshould be adopted when training street children to ensure effective learning.




For employers the lessons are numerous and varied. From the interviews with the children,it was not surprising to discover that the most important aspect of work was to “earn a lotof money”. Even less surprising was that ‘low income’ ranked highly among the children

as a reason for leaving their job, even though those children who had left a job did not doso for reasons of income (see 4.2.1). Nevertheless, the lesson for employers is quite clearlythat street children place a lot of importance on earning a good income so that they cansupport themselves and their family. The research does indicate that children interviewedmay not have an entirely realistic view of the appropriate salaries paid for certain jobs. Thismay be due to the fact that a child can earn a lot of money working on the street which doesnot necessarily reflect the situation on the job. Another lesson for employers is that their management style and how they treat employees at work are also important factors whenconsidering long term retention of street children on the job. From the research it wasapparent that children prefer to stay in jobs long term which is beneficial for both theemployer and employee.

Another point for employers to note is the high importance street children place onsocialising at work. The majority of children interviewed prefer to work in teams and hence jobs where employees must work alone may not be entirely appropriate for street children.Much of the literature on this subject support the view that socialising at work assists the psycho-social development of street children and is a vital component of job satisfaction. Inthis research, most managers of business placed children in jobs which allowed for somesocialising at work which would have a positive impact on their psycho-socialdevelopment. The type of work generally available for street children is physicallydemanding and routine in nature. Most children interviewed said they liked routine work, but less girls than boys like physically demanding work, another point worthy of note for employers.

The lessons learned from this research hope to provide the relevant authorities, vocationaltraining centres, potential employers and job service centres with important information onthe interests and preferences of street children with regard to vocational training andemployment. This knowledge in turn will help to improve the current services for streetchildren and hopefully enable their access to suitable vocational training programmes andemployment opportunities.




5.2 Recommendations

While many lessons have been identified by this research, there are still a number of recommendations to be made with regards to the training and employment of streetchildren. They are as follows:

• More information on the current and future labour market needs must be gathered anddisseminated to all target groups, in particular training providers.

• Major stakeholders, such as training providers, businesses and governmentdepartments, need to help reduce the barriers to attending training and gainingemployment for street children (i.e. cost of training and government regulations).

• Increase awareness of the specific issues of street children through additional researchso that all stakeholders have a better understanding of their current situation and particular needs.

• Raising the children’s awareness on what training courses are available to them andoffering many different options which are not restricted by gender and also have jobs at

the end of the course.• Ensure time constraints of participants is taken into consideration when conducting

research as this was a major limitation when gathering quality data.




6 APPENDICES

6.1 Appendix 1: Participants of Research and their Location

Target Group Participants No.

Street Children(2 Groups)

Children from the following areas:

• District 1, 4 & 7

40

InternationalOrganisations workingin HCMC

• Terres de homme (Tdh) – Phu Nhuan District

• Triangle Generation Humanitaire (TGH) – Tan BinhDistrict

• Maison Chance – Binh Chanh District

• Christina Noble Children’s Foundation – District 3

•

UNICEF – District 1• Environment and Development in Action (ENDA) –

District 10

• World Vision International – District 1

• Saigon Children’s Charity – District 3

• Enfants du Monde – District 3

• Education for Development (EFD) – District 1

10

Relevant Authoritiesand GovernmentAgencies in HCMC

• Committee for population, Family and Children(CPFC) of Protection and Care for Children - BinhChanh District

• Committee of Protection and Care for Children -District 7

• Committee of Protection and Care for Children - GoVap District

• Committee of Care for Children and Family -District 1

• People’s Committee - District 2

• People’s Committee - Cu Chi District

• Social Affairs Information Cultural Office -District 4

• Committee of Population, Family and Children –

District 6• Department of Labour Invalids and Social Affairs

Office of Labour, Disabled Soldiers and SocialAffairs – District 3

• Committee for Children, Family and Planning – District 5

10




Directors andPersonnel Managers of Business in HCMC

• Tan Phat Refrigerator Mechanics Company –BinhThanh District

• Hong Thanh Shoe Making Enterprise – District 4

• Minh Quang Handicraft Enterprise – District 5

• Vietnam Disabled Children’s Protection Association – Tan Binh District

• Minh Cuong Aluminum Building Company – District 1

• Gas Station Number 93 – District 3

• Hoang Thinh Enterprise (Wooden FurnitureManufacturer) – District 1

• Cat Vang Photographic Studio – District 5

• New World Hotel Saigon – District 1

• Minh Duc Carving Shop – Phu Nhuan District

• Ngoc Hien Machine Manufacturers – Phu Nhuan

District• Barber Shop - Phu Nhuan District

• Lac Phuong Nam Lacquer Company - District 3

• Tuan Ngoc Photographic Studio – Tan Binh District

• Phu My Hung Joint Venture Company - District 7

15

Job Service Centres inHCMC

• Cao Nguyen Company Ltd – Tan Binh District

• Office of Labour, Disabled Soldiers, Social Affairs – City Job Service Centre – Binh Thanh District

• Youth Employment Services Centre – District 1

•

Job Service Centre - Phu Nhuan District• Professional Employee’s Center (PROFEC) –

District 3

5

Directors and Staff of Vocational TrainingProgrammes for theGeneral Public inHCMC

• Training Centre – District 1

• Training Centre – District 3 (2 Interviews)



• Binh Thanh Computer Centre – Binh Thanh District

• Hung Vuong Technology School – District 5

• Bureau of Education and Training in HCMC –

District 7• Military Job Service Centre No. 7 – District 10

• Tan Binh Vocational Training Centre – Tan BinhDistrict

10




Directors and Staff of Vocational TrainingProgrammes for StreetChildren in HCMC

• Que Huong Hotel No. 1 – District 3

• Thang Long Training School – District 4

• Hoa Hong Tailoring Club – District 3

• First June Shelter – District 4

• Quy Huu Power and Mechanics School – District 1• Saigon Children’s Charity – District 3

• Duc Minh Vocational Training Centre – District 1

• A Dong Technical and Vocational School – DistrictTan Binh

• The Thong Nhat Driving School – District 10

• The Women’s Union - District 4

10




6.2 Appendix 2: Questionnaires for all Target Groups

6.2.1 Street Children (Group 1)

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:1 What is your name? Sex: M F 2 How old are you?3 Where do you earn money?4 How do you earn money?5 Do you ever sleep: on the street in a shelter/open house for street children 6 Which school do you attend? FORMAL

INFORMAL NONE

7 What is the highest level of formal education completed? Grade?

8 Have you ever attended/completed vocational training: NEVER NOT COMPLETED COMPLETED

TRAINING9 Do you know which training centres are available to you? Yes No

If yes, list centres you know? Which centre do you prefer? Why?10 Would you like to attend vocational training? Yes No Don’t know

If yes, why? If no, why not?11 Which training would you like to attend most (for which vocation)? Why?12 How would you describe an ideal training programme?

13 Have you wanted to attend training in the past but were unable to? Yes No If yes, what was the reason you were unable to attend training (e.g. transportation,

money, sickness, time, etc.)?

VARIABLES OF TRAINING14 Do training costs make it difficult for you to attend vocational training? Yes No If

yes, what costs are the most difficult to meet (e.g. fees, uniform, equipment, opportunitycost, transport)?

15 How much tuition can you afford for vocational training?16 How far are you willing and able to travel to attend training?17 How much study time per day could you make available? Hours?

18 How much time could you spend attending a training course. Please mark with an “x”all that applies. 3 months 6 months 1 year 2 years Other

19 Which of the following should a training centre provide? Please mark with an “x”Meals Accommodation Both meals and accommodation None of these

20 Will certification help you find work? Yes No Don’t know If yes, whatcertificates (if known)?

21 What teaching methods do you prefer? Please mark with an “x” all that applies.




Formal classroom Informal classes Tutoring Apprenticeship On-the-job Theoretical Practical Other ……………………

22 Do you think a training centre should also help you find a job after training?Yes No Don’t know

23 Would you attend training if the centre does not help you find a job? Yes

No

Don’t know 24 Do you think a training centre should also provide you with personal guidance and

support? Yes No Don’t know 25 Would you attend training if the centre does not provide personal guidance and

support? Yes No Don’t know 26 Of the following, which type of training centre do you prefer?

Special centre for street children Regular centre for the general public Why?27 Is it important for you that there is a disciplined atmosphere in class at the training

centre? Yes No Don’t knowWhy28 Is it important that the training centre includes time for social activities (defined as: any

activity organised for the attendees outside of the normal training programme hours, for example, sporting activities, movies, dinner party, etc) in their training programmes?Yes No Don’t know

WORK 29 What do you think is the most important aspect of a job?30 What do you think would be a reason to quit your job?31 What jobs would you like to do? Why?32 What jobs would you not like to do? Why?33 What jobs would you be able to do without training?34 What jobs would you be able to do with training?35 How does your ideal job (see question 31) compare with the training you would most

like to do (see question 11)? Why did you choose the job/training?

VARIABLES OF WORK 36 What do you consider an unsafe work environment (both physical and social) where

you would refuse to work?37 What type of supervisor/manager would you like to work with? Also, NOT like to work

with?38 Would you prefer to work in the same job with one employer over a long period or

would you prefer to change employer/jobs frequently? Why?39 Is socialising with co-workers or having friends at work important to you? Yes No Don’t knowWhy?

40 Do you prefer to work alone or with other people?41 What is the minimum monthly salary you would accept?42 What benefits or support would you want from an employer? List43 Of the following, what would you prefer?

A lot of freedom at work Don't know Close guidance and supervision

44 What kind of work schedule do you prefer? Time of day (morning, afternoon, evening,night)? Work hours (per day, per week)?




45 Do you like physically demanding work? Yes No Don’t know 46 Do you like routine work? Yes No Don’t know 47 How far are you willing to travel to work everyday?48 Would you be willing to change town/move to get a job? Yes No Don’t know

49 How important is it to receive training whilst at work? Please mark “x” in one box only. Not important Not very important Important Very Important Don’t know

FOLLOW UP50 Are you willing to attend a group discussion on vocational training and employment?What day of week is best? AM or PM?

Thank you for your co-operation.

6.2.2 Street Children (Group 2)

BACKGROUND INFORMATION1 What is your name? Sex: M F 2 How old are you?3 What period of your life where you a "Street Child"?4 Where did you earn money?5 How did you earn money?6 Did you sleep: on the street in a shelter/open house for street children 7 Which school did you attend? FORMAL

INFORMAL NONE

8 What is the highest level of formal education completed? Grade?9 Have you ever attended/completed vocational training: NEVER

NOT COMPLETED COMPLETED

TRAINING10 Which vocational training centre did you attend? Was the centre a “special centre for

street children” OR “regular centre for the general public” ?11 What vocational training programme did you participate in? Why did you choose this

vocational training programme?12 What was the duration of the programme (hours, days, weeks, months, etc, including

study time both in class and at home )?13 Did you complete the course? Yes No If no, why not? If yes, did you receive acertificate? Yes No If yes, which certificate?

14 What were the costs of the vocational training programme? (both direct and indirectcosts) How did you cover these costs?

15 Of the following, what was provided as part of the training? Please mark with “x”Meals Accommodation Both meals and accommodation None of these

16 What did you like about the training programme?17 What did you NOT like about the training programme?




18 How far did you have to travel to attend training?19 What teaching methods were used in the vocational training programme?

(Please mark with an “x” all that applies).Formal classroom Informal classes Tutoring Apprenticeship

On-the-job

Theoretical

Practical

Other

…………………20 Did you receive any personal guidance and support whilst attending the training programme? Yes No If yes, from whom?

21 Were any social activities organised for the attendees of the training programme? Yes No If yes, what activities?

22 Was there a disciplined atmosphere in the class? Yes No 23 Did the training centre help you find employment? Yes No If yes, how?24 If you are currently employed, do you think your vocational training helped you find

employment? Yes No Don’t know If yes, how? If no, why not?25 Would you like to attend another vocational training programme? Yes No Don’t

know If yes, why? If no, why not?

26 If you were to attend another vocational training programme in the future, which onewould you choose to attend? Which centre? Why?

WORK 27 Have you ever been employed? Yes No If yes, what type of work did you do?

What did/do you like about your job? What did/do you NOT like about your job?Are you currently employed? Yes No If yes, what work do you do? Where do youwork?

28 Have you ever quit a formal job? Yes No If yes, why?29 If no, what do you think would be a reason to quit your job?30 What do you think is the most important aspect of a job?31 What jobs would you like to do? Why?32 What jobs would you not like to do? Why?33 What jobs would you be able to do without training?34 What jobs would you be able to do with additional training?35 How does your ideal job (see question 31) compare with the training you would most

like to do (see question 26)? Why did you choose the job/training?

VARIABLES OF WORK 36 What do you consider an unsafe work environment (both physical and social) where

you would refuse to work?37 What type of supervisor/manager would you like to work with? Also, NOT like to work

with?38 Would you prefer to work in the same job with one employer over a long period or

would you prefer to change employer/jobs frequently? Why?39 Is socialising with co-workers or having friends at work important to you? Yes No Don’t knowWhy?

40 Do you prefer to work alone or with other people?41 What is the minimum monthly salary you would accept?42 What benefits or support would you want from an employer? List43 Of the following, what would you prefer?




A lot of freedom at work Don't know Close guidance and supervision

44 What kind of work schedule do you prefer? Time of day (morning, afternoon, evening,night)? Work hours (per day, per week)?

45 Do you like physically demanding work? Yes

No

Don’t know

46 Do you like routine work? Yes No Don’t know 47 How far are you willing to travel to work everyday?48 Would you be willing to change town/move to get a new job? Yes No

Don’t know 49 How important is it to receive training whilst at work? Please mark “x” in one box only.

Not important Not very important Important Very Important Don’t know

FOLLOW UP50 Are you willing to attend a group discussion on vocational training and employment?What day of week is best? AM or PM?


6.2.3 Directors and Personnel Managers of Business in HCMC

BACKGROUNDCollect name card to find out name, address, position, responsibility, etc. of therespondent. ALSO ask the following background questions:1 How many personnel without high school education have you employed?2 What positions do they hold in your organisation?

RECRUITMENT3 What are your current recruitment procedures for employees without a high school

education?4 What criteria do you use to select employees without high school education?5 What aptitudes do you look for in personnel without high school education?6 What minimum training/skill level do you require personnel without high school

education to possess before hiring them?7 Is there a demand for vocationally trained employees in your organisation?

Yes No If yes, what training did they receive? What positions do they hold?8 What certificates, diplomas, degrees are recognised by business and industry?

VARIABLES OF WORK 9 What training programmes are available to employees within your organisation

(e.g. apprenticeship, OJT, etc)?10 What training does your organisation provide to employees without a high school

education?11 What is the minimum monthly salary of employees without a high school

education?




12 What employee benefits does your organisation offer (e.g. housing, meals, uniform,etc.)? What is the typical work schedule of employees within your organisation? Doyou offer alternative work schedules for employees who request more flexibleworking hours? Yes No

13 What is the typical duration of employment of employees who do not have a highschool education? Short Term or Long Term 14 What do you think are the main reasons why personnel without high school

education leave employment?15 What are the main safety issues experienced within your organisation/business

sector?16 Of the following, which term best describes the management style that is adopted in

your organisation? Please mark with an “x” those that applyAuthoritative Directive Consultative Participative Other

17 Do staff work in teams or individually?18 Is there an opportunity for staff to socialise with other staff members whilst at

work? Yes

No

If yes, how?19 Are social activities organised for staff members regularly? Yes No 20 Is the work conducted by staff physically demanding? Yes No 21 Is the work conducted by staff routine work? Yes No 22 Where in HCM Province are the majority of businesses in your sector located?

TRAINING23 What vocational training (both existing and new) for personnel without a high

school education is in demand in the current labour market?24 Which teaching methods do you think are most effective for personnel without high

school education? Please mark with an “x” all that applies.Formal classroom Informal classes Tutoring Apprenticeship On-the-job Theoretical Practical Other Why?

25 What do you anticipate to be the future training needs of employees without highschool education qualifications?

JOB OPPORTUNITY26 Have you ever employed street children in your organisation? Yes No If no,

would you? Yes NoWhy? Why not?27 If yes, was/is the working relationship successful? Unsuccessful?

What were/are the major issues your organisation experienced/experiences?How were/are these issues managed?

29 In which of the following are street children more likely to be employed?Short Term Contract Long Term Contract Which of these contracts do you think are more beneficial for the career development of street children? S/Term Contract L/Term Contract Why?

30 How would the employment conditions of street children differ from those who donot possess a high school education?

31 What business sectors do you believe would be most interested in employing streetchildren? For which jobs? Why?




32 How do governmental regulations aid or hinder the employment of street children?Where regulations hinder employment, what should be done to overcome theseobstacles to employment?

33 How can the employment of street children be facilitated?

FOLLOW UP34 Are you willing to take part in a group discussion about vocational training and

employment for street children?What day of week is best? AM or PM?


6.2.4 Directors and Staff of Vocational Training Programmes for the General Public

in HCMC

BACKGROUNDCollect name card; if not any, ask background questions 1, 2 & 31. What is your name?2. What is your position?3. What is the address of the centre?4. How long have you worked for this centre?5. Is your centre: private (registered) private (unregistered) or Government run6. How many students do you enrol per year?

ENROLMENT CRITERIA

7. What criteria do you use for enrolment? For example, age; sex; education level;minimum health requirements; legal status (ie. identification documents, permanentresidence…); etc.

8. How do you screen your students prior to entering a training programme? What testsdo you conduct?

9. Who refers students to your training centre?

TRAINING**Interviewer to request a quick tour of the training centre and record observations

(taking particular notice of the level of discipline in the classrooms).10. What current vocational training programmes do you have available for students?

List (ask for any brochures the centre may have) How long are these training programmes? How many hours do students study per day (including hours spent athome doing homework)What training levels (basic, intermediate, advanced)? Doyou specialise in any area of training?Of the following, which are provided to students of your training centres? Pleasemark “x” in the box that applies. Meals Accommodation BOTH meals andAccommodation None of these

11. What teaching/training methods are used in your centre?




(Please mark with an “x” all that applies).Formal classroom Informal classes Tutoring Apprenticeship On-the-job Theoretical Practical Other …………………

What is successful? What is not as successful?

12. How much do your training programmes cost (both direct and indirect costs)?13. Do you provide personal guidance and support to attendees of the training programmes?

14. Which vocational training programmes are most suited to meet the needs of thecurrent labour market? List

15. What vocational training programmes are required to meet the needs of the futurelabour market?

16. Do you plan to design new training programmes for students? Yes No 17. If yes, which training programmes are you planning?18. What certificates, apprenticeships, diplomas, or degrees are recognised by business

and industry? (level 1/7, 3/7…)Which certificates, etc, do you provide?

19. What vocational training programs have been successful with students who attendyour centre? How do you define success? What contributed to this success?20. What vocational training programs have been unsuccessful with students who attend

your centre? What made them unsuccessful? What was the cause of the failure?21. What do you believe are the strengths of your training programmes? Why?22. What do you believe are the difficulties you experience in your training

programmes? Why? What are your future plans to address these issues?23. What is the job placement record for graduates of training? By vocation?

Of those graduates who got jobs, what were the general conditions of employment?What are the reasons why some graduates do not find employment?

24. Are you involved in job placements? Yes No If yes, how?25. Have you enrolled any students which fit our definition of “street children”? Yes

No If yes, did any special conditions apply for their enrolment? Yes No If yes, what were they? Were these children successful/unsuccessful in the training programme? Why? If no, would any special conditions apply to them if they were toenrol? Yes No If yes, which conditions?

26. What vocational training programs do you think are most suitable for streetchildren? Within which business sectors? Why?

27. Have you co-operated with anyone or any other organisation to make job placement for street children? Yes No If yes, who?

28. In which of the following are street children more likely to be employed?Short Term Contract Long Term Contract Which of these contracts do you think are more beneficial for the career development of street children? S/Term Contract L/Term ContractWhy?

29. What barriers to training do you believe former street children experience?How can they be managed/overcome?

30. Are social activities incorporated into your training programmes? Yes No If no,how can social activities be incorporated into the training programmes?

31. How would you compare the training programmes offered by your organisation withthose offered by organisations who deal directly with street children?




FOLLOW UP32. Would you be willing to take part in a group discussion on vocational training and

employment for street children?

What day of the week is best? AM or PM


6.2.5 Directors and Staff of Vocational Training Programmes for Street Children in

HCMC

BACKGROUNDCollect name card; if not any, ask background questions 1, 2 & 31 What is your name?

2 What is your position in your training centre?3 What is the address of the centre?4 How long have you worked for this centre?5 Is your centre: private (registered) private (unregistered) or Government run6 How many students do you enrol per year?

ENROLMENT7 What criteria do you use for enrolment of street children? For example, age; sex;

educational level; minimum health requirements; legal status (identificationdocuments, permanent residence…); etc.

8 How do you screen street children prior to them entering a training programme?

What tests do you conduct?9. Who refers students to your training centre?

TRAINING**Interviewer to request a quick tour of the training centre and record observations (taking

particular notice of the level of discipline in the classrooms).10. What current vocational training programmes do you have available for street

children? List (ask for any brochures the centre may have) How long are thesetraining programmes? How many hours do students study per day (including hoursspent at home doing homework)What training levels (basic, intermediate,advanced)? Do you specialise in any area of training?

11. Of the following, which are provided to students of your training centres? Pleasemark “x” in the box that applies. Meals Accommodation BOTH meals andAccommodation None of these

12. What teaching/training methods are used in your centre?(Please mark with an “x” all that applies).Formal classroom Informal classes Tutoring Apprenticeship On-the-job Theoretical Practical Other ……………

What is successful? What is not as successful?




13. How much do your training programmes cost (both direct and indirect costs)?14. Do you provide personal guidance and support to attendees of the training

programmes?15. Which current vocational training programmes are most popular for street

children? Why? Which training programmes are in demand by street children thatyou do not cater for?16. What vocational training programs do you think are most suitable for street

children? Within which business sectors? Why?17. Which vocational training programmes are most suited to meet the needs of the

current labour market? List18. What vocational training programmes are required to meet the needs of the future

labour market?19. Do you plan to design new training programmes for students? Yes No 20. If yes, which training programmes are you planning?21. What certificates, apprenticeships, diplomas, or degrees are recognised by business

and industry? (level 1/7, 3/7…)? Which certificates, etc, do you provide?22. What vocational training programs have been successful with street children?How do you define success? What contributed to this success?

23. What vocational training programs have been unsuccessful with street children?What made them unsuccessful? What was the cause of the failure?

24. What do you believe are the strengths of your training programmes? Why?25. What do you believe are the difficulties you experience in your training

programmes? Why? What are your future plans to address these issues?26. Are social activities incorporated into your training programmes? Yes No If

no, how can social activities be incorporated into the training programmes?27. What do you think are the barriers to training for street children? How can they be

managed/overcome?28. How would you compare the training programmes offered by your organisation

with those offered by organisations who provide training to the general public?29. What is the job placement record for graduates of training? By vocation?

Of those graduates who got jobs, what were the general conditions of employment?In which of the following are street children more likely to be employed?Short Term Contract Long Term Contract Which of these contracts do you think are more beneficial for the career development of street children? S/Term Contract L/Term ContractWhy?

30. Are you involved in job placements? Yes No If yes, how?31. Have you co-operated with anyone or any other organisation to make job

placement for street children? Yes No If yes, who?

FOLLOW UP32. Would you be willing to take part in a group discussion on vocational training and

employment for street children?What day is best? AM or PM?





6.2.6 International Organisations Working in HCMC

BACKGROUNDCollect name card. If not any, ask background questions 1 & 2

1 What is your organisation's name?2 What is your job title/responsibility?3 How long have you worked for this organisation?4 Can you briefly describe what support your organisation provides to vocational training

for “street children” (check organisation’s definition of Street Children) in HCMC?

TRAINING5. Do you know what training programmes are available to street children? List6. What problems, needs, etc. have you identified in the area of vocational training?7. What vocational training programmes have been successful with children without high

school education? How do you define success? What contributed to this success?8. What vocational training programmes have been unsuccessful with children without

high school education? What made them unsuccessful? What was the cause of thefailure?

9. What vocational training programmes do you think are most suitable for street children?Within which business sectors? Why?

10. Which business sectors are most suitable for street children?11. What is the current labour market for children without high school education? What

training programs would best prepare these children for these job opportunities?12. What future vocational training programs are required to meet the labour market

needs?

13. How do governmental regulations aid or hinder the training of street children?Where regulations hinder training, what should be done to overcome these obstacles totraining?

14. Are graduates of training programmes adequately trained for employment?Yes No

15. What are your organisation’s future plans in the area of vocational training? Why havethese become future plans?

VARIABLES OF TRAINING16. Do you think training costs make it difficult for street children to attend vocational

training? Yes NoWhich costs (both direct and indirect) are the most difficult to

meet? How can these obstacles to training be overcome?17. Do you think a training centre should help street children find a job after training? Yes No If yes, how?

18. Do you think a training centre should also provide street children with personalguidance and support? Yes No

19. Is certification of vocational training important to access employment?Yes No




20. Which of the following do you think a training centre should provide? Please mark “x”in box that applies.Meals Accommodation Both meals and accommodation None of these

21. Which teaching methods do you think are most effective for street children? Please

mark with an “x” all that applies.Formal classroom Informal classes Tutoring Apprenticeship On-the-job Theoretical Practical Other ……Why?

22. Of the following, which type of vocational training centre do you think is the mostappropriate for street children?

Special centre for street children Regular centre for the general publicWhy? __ 23. What do you think is the ideal duration of a training programme for street children?

(hours, days, months, years, etc) Hours per day (including those spent studying athome)? Why?

24. Should social activities be incorporated into vocational training? Yes No If yes, how?

EMPLOYMENT25. Have you ever employed street children in your organisation? Yes No If no,

would you? Yes No Why? Why not? If yes, was/is the working relationshipsuccessful? Unsuccessful? Why? What were/are the major issues your organisationexperienced/experiences?

26. Of those training programmes your organisation supports, what percentage of vocationally trained people, per training program, are successfully employed? What percentage of these were street children?

27. Which jobs do you think are suitable for street children? Which jobs are the MOSTsuitable? Why?

28. Have you supported employment for street children (e.g.: financial support, providedtraining, incentives, advocacy, etc.)? Yes No (If yes , ask questions from the list of “VARIABLES OF EMPLOYMENT” below).

29. If yes, what is your current role in improving employment opportunities for streetchildren? Why did your organisation choose to adopt this role?

30. How do governmental regulations aid or hinder the employment of street children?Where regulations hinder employment, what should be done to overcome these

obstacles to employment?

VARIABLES OF EMPLOYMENT31. What are the main reasons why street children leave employment?32. In which of the following are street children more likely to be employed?

Short Term Contract Long Term Contract Which of these contracts do you think are more beneficial for the career developmentof street children? S/Term Contract L/Term ContractWhy?

33. What do you consider an unsafe work environment where street children should notwork?

34. What are the general conditions of employment for vocationally trained street children?35. What are the most appropriate conditions of employment for street children to ensure

job satisfaction?




36. What do you see as a future strategy for street children with respect to accessingvocational training and gaining employment?

FOLLOW UP

37. Are you willing to attend a group discussion on vocational training and employment for street children?What day of the week is best? AM or PM?


6.2.7 Job Service Centres in HCMC

BACKGROUNDCollect name card. If not any, ask background questions 1 & 2

1. What is your name?2. What is your position?3. Is your centre: private (registered) private (unregistered) or Government run 4. How long have you been working in this centre?

EMPLOYEES - EMPLOYERS

5. Who are your clients/target groups? What is your enrolment criteria for applicants (if any)?

6. How many clients without high school education do you handle per year?7. Of those organisations which utilise your agency, what percent per business sector

employ personnel without high school education?

8. What are these employers’ expectations of your recommended employees?9. What is their minimum selection criteria for potential employees without high school

education?10. Which types of vocational training are most valued by potential employers? Please

mark “x” in all that applies.Apprenticeship On the Job Theoretical Practical Formal Centre Informal Centre Other (please specify)……………

11. What types of certificates are most requested by employers?

LABOUR MARKET12. What types of physical labour/ professional skills are the most requested by employers

who employ personnel without high school education? (%)13. How do you expect the current labour market to evolve? Why?14. What kind of jobs would be most accessible for street children?15. Are there any businesses that you work with that employ street children?

Yes No If yes, please specify which sectors and which jobs in those sectors16. Do any special selection criteria apply for street children? Yes No If yes, which

criteria?




JOB PLACEMENT17. What is your job placement percentage for personnel without high school education?

Percentage by business sector? Percentage by type of job? What are the generalconditions of employment?

18. Do you conduct follow up evaluation on the success of employed clients who do nothave a high school education? Yes NoWhat percent of these clients complete thefull term of their employment contract? Does this vary between sectors or between jobs? What is the most common reason for leaving employment before the end of thecontract? If their employment was a success, what were the reasons for this success?

19. Have you ever recommended a street child for work? Yes No If yes, how many?To which organisations did you make the recommendations? Which sectors? Type of work? What is the difference in employment success between street children and thoseemployees who do not possess a high school education? Do their employmentconditions vary? Yes No If yes, how?

20. Would your organisation help street children find suitable employment in the future?

Yes

No

If no, why not?21. In which of the following are street children more likely to be employed?Short Term Contract Long Term Contract Which of these contracts do you think are more beneficial for the career developmentof street children? S/Term Contract L/Term ContractWhy?

22. Do you have any strategies which may help former street children find employment?Yes No If yes, what are they?

23. Which areas do you believe former street children need additional training?(e.g. basic skills, social skills, computer skills, etc.)?

24. How do governmental regulations aid or hinder the employment of street children?Where regulations hinder employment, what should be done to overcome theseobstacles to employment?

25. How can the employment of street children be facilitated?

FOLLOW UP26. Would you be willing to attend a group discussion on vocational training and

employment for street children?What day of the week is best? AM or PM?


6.2.8 Relevant Authorities and Government Agencies in HCMC

BACKGROUNDCollect name card. If not any, ask background questions 1 & 21 What is your agency name?2 What is your job title/responsibility?3 How long have you worked for this agency?4 Can you briefly describe what role your department/agency plays with regard to the

provision of vocational training to “street children” in HCMC?




TRAINING5. Do you know what training programmes are available to street children? List6. What problems, needs, etc. have you identified in the area of vocational training?

7. What vocational training programmes have been successful with children without highschool education? How do you define success ?What contributed to this success?8. What vocational training programmes have been unsuccessful with children without

high school education? What made them unsuccessful? What was the cause of thefailure?

9. What vocational training programmes do you think are most suitable for street children?Within which business sectors? Why?

10. Which business sectors are most suitable for street children?11. Are graduates of training programmes adequately trained for employment? Yes

No 12. How do governmental regulations aid or hinder the training of street children? Where

regulations hinder training, what should be done to overcome these obstacles totraining?13. Do governmental agencies have current/new policies to support street children in terms

of training placement? Yes No If yes, how can street children benefit from thesecurrent/new policies?

14. What are your organisation’s future plans in the area of vocational training? Why havethese become future plans?

VARIABLES OF TRAINING15. Do you think training costs make it difficult for street children to attend vocational

training? Yes NoWhich costs (both direct and indirect) are the most difficult tomeet? How can these obstacles to training be overcome?

16. Which teaching methods do you think are most effective for street children? Pleasemark with an “x” all that applies.

Formal classroom Informal classes Tutoring Apprenticeship On-the-job Theoretical Practical Other ……Why?

17. Do you think a training centre should help street children find a job after training? Yes No If yes, how?

18. Do you think a training centre should also provide street children with personalguidance and support? Yes No

19. Which of the following do you think a training centre should provide? Please mark “x”in box that applies.Meals Accommodation Both meals and accommodation None of these

20. Of the following, which type of vocational training centre do you think is the mostappropriate for street children?Special centre for street children Regular centre for the general publicWhy?

21. Is certification of vocational training important to access employment? Yes No 22. What do you think is the ideal duration of a training programme for street children?

(ours, days, months, years, etc) Hours per day (including those spent studying athome)? Why?




23. Should social activities be incorporated into vocational training? Yes No If yes,how?

EMPLOYMENT

24. Have you ever employed street children in your organisation? Yes

No

If no,would you? Yes No Why? Why not? If yes, was/is the working relationshipsuccessful? Unsuccessful? Why? What were/are the major issues your organisationexperienced/experiences?

25. What is the current labour market for children without high school education? Whattraining programmes would best prepare these children for these job opportunities?

26. What future vocational training programmes are required to meet the labour market needs?

27. What percentage of vocationally trained people, per training programme, aresuccessfully employed? What percentage of these were street children? (check

authority’s definition of Street Children)

28. Which jobs do you think are suitable for street children? Which jobs are the MOSTsuitable? Why?29. How do governmental regulations aid or hinder the employment of street children?30. Do governmental agencies have current/new policies to support street children in terms

of job placement? Yes No If yes, how can street children benefit from thesecurrent/new policies?

31. Have you supported employment for street children (e.g.: financial support, providedtraining, incentives, advocacy, etc.)? Yes No (If yes , ask questions from the list of “VARIABLES OF EMPLOYMENT” below).If yes, what is your current role in improving employment opportunities for streetchildren? Why did your organisation choose to adopt this role?

VARIABLES OF EMPLOYMENT32. What do you believe are the main reasons why street children leave employment?33. In which of the following are street children more likely to be employed?

Short Term Contract Long Term Contract Which of these contracts do you think are more beneficial for the career developmentof street children? Short Term Contract Long Term ContractWhy?

34. What do you consider an unsafe work environment where street children should notwork?

35. What are the general conditions of employment for vocationally trained street children?36. What are the most appropriate conditions of employment for street children to ensure

job satisfaction?37. What do you see as a future strategy for street children with respect to accessing

vocational training and gaining employment?





6.3 Appendix 3: Reasons for Leaving a Job

The following is a list of reasons why a street child thinks they would leave their job

(ranked from most common reason to least common reason).

Group 1 – Girls

Reasons for Leaving a Job

1. Work is too hard1. Too much work (equal ranking )

2. Low salary2. Employers shout at them in front of colleagues (equal ranking )

3. No customers/not enough work 3. Not earning enough money (equal ranking )

4. No ability to do the job5. Family reasons5. Employer is too strict (equal ranking )

6. Employer fines the employee

7. Work place is boring

Group 1 – Boys


1. Employer is difficult or mean

2. Too much work

3. Employer doesn’t pay salary on time4. Employer beats employee

5. Employer scolds employee

6. Low salary

Group 2 – Girls


1. Employer is rude/scolds employee

2. Work is too hard

3. Low salary

4. No ability to do the job

5. Family reasons (family wants me to quit)

6. Move on to a better job

7. Employer fines the employee

8. Not enough work




Group 2 – Boys


1. Move on to better job

2. Not develop skills3. Low salary

4. Have an accident at work

5. Employer is rude/scolds the employee

The following are lists developed from target groups stating what participants believe arethe main reasons why street children leave employment(ranked from most common reason to least common reason)

International Organisations


1. Income too low

2. Lack of discipline/patience2. Not enough supervision from employer 2. Bored/not interested in the job in the first place (forced into it)(equal ranking)

3. Children live on the street too long and then find it difficult to adjust toworking life3. Children don’t like the job (equal ranking)

4. Children want freedom

5. Children are too young/immature6. Children are often late or sick

7. Not capable to do the work

8. Poor attitude to work (some feel the job is beneath them – e.g. acleaning job may be too lowly for them)

9. Poor treatment from co-workers

10. Defensive attitude and lazy

11. Work is too hard

12. Business stops operating

Relevant Authorities and Government Agencies


1. Family reasons/difficulties

2. No stability in children’s lives2. Too much pressure to earn money immediately (equal ranking )

3. Treated poorly at work 3. Psychological problems of child3. Income too low (equal ranking)




Directors and Personnel Managers of Business

Reason for Leaving a Job

1. Don’t follow company regulations1. Don’t like the job/working environment (equal ranking)

2. No patience

3. Corruption


5. Don’t want to learn

6. Little discipline to stay at work

7. Want to study instead of work

8. Child does not accept when the boss scolds them

9. Child finds another job

10. Income too low

11. Child is stubborn12. Child disagrees with the employer (have different point of view)

13. Child wants to start their own business

14. Seasonal job

Job Service Centre

Reason for Leaving a Job

1. Income too low


3. Reduced salary

4. Hours not suitable for child5. Employer shouts at the employee

6. Child not allowed to sleep after lunch




6.4 Appendix 4: Characteristics of Employers

The following are lists compiled by street children describing the types of employer they

would like to work with (ranked from most important to least important characteristics).

Group 1 – Girls

Characteristics of Employers that Children LIKE

1. Kind to the poor and not despising their poor employees

2. Strict, but humorous

3. Helpful employer

4. Happy employer 4. Strict but sympathetic with employees (equal ranking )

5. Employer who is not strict

6. Employer who is nice

Group 1 – Boys


1. Helpful employer

2. Happy employer

3. Encouraging employer

4. Easy – going employer

5. Employer who is not strict

6. Strict, but open and friendly employer

7. Employer who does not beat me if I do things incorrectly

8. Enthusiastic employer

9. Employer who is sympathetic with employees

10. Nice employer

11. Humorous employer

Group 2 – Girls


1. One that does not exploit hired labour

2. Sympathise with new employee’s limited experience2. Employer who is helpful (equal ranking )

3. One that guides/supports/encourages employees

4. Employer who loves people

5. Easy-going employer

6. Open-minded employer 6. Helps poor people (equal ranking )

7. Nice/gentle employer




8. Employer who does not dismiss employee without valid reason

9. Pay high salary

10. Fair minded (not stingy)

11. Does not sexually harass workers

12. Joyful/cheerful/humorous13. Not aggressive/scold/beat

14. Serious about work

15. Not too difficult

Group 2 – Boys


1. Joyful/cheerful1. Fair minded (equal ranking )

2. One that guides/supports/encourages employees

3. Easy-going employer 4. Employer who loves people

5. One that doesn’t fine employees

6. One that does not constrain employees6. Sympathise with new employee’s limited experience6. Employer who is helpful (equal ranking )

7. Employer who is serious about work

8. One that will overlook employee’s faults

9. Employer who is nice

10. Not aggressive/scold/beat

11. Not too difficult

The following are lists compiled by street children describing the types of employer theywould not like to work with (ranked from most important to least importantcharacteristics).

Group 1 – Girls

Characteristics of Employers that Children DO NOT LIKE

1. Employer who is impolite with girls, asks them to do wrong things

2. Employer who scolds/shouts

2. Employer who is strict2. Employer who disregards the poor (equal ranking )

3. Selfish employer

4. Cruel employer




Group 1 – Boys

Characteristics of Employers that Children DO NOT LIKE1. Not easy-going employer

2. Dominant employer

3. Not friendly

4. Hot tempered employer

5. Unhelpful employer

6. Employer who scolds/shouts6. Employer who is strict (equal ranking )

7. Rude employer

Group 2 – Girls


1. Lustful (sexual harassment)

2. Unfair to employees2. Mean/stingy (equal ranking )

3. Rude

4. Looks down on the poor

5. Difficult

6. Tough/aggressive/shouts/scolds/severe/fierce

Group 2 – Boys


1. One that fines without notice1. Rude (equal ranking )

2. One that doesn’t give feedback when staff do something wrong

3. Not harmonious

4. Unfair to employees4. Tough/aggressive/shouts/scolds4. Employer who is easy to be upset (equal ranking )

5. Difficult




7 REFERENCE LIST

Binh, D., Nen, T., Nhat, N. and Van, T. (1995) “ Vocational Training for Street Children in

Ho Chi Minh City”, Ho Chi Minh City: Vietnam Central Youth Association’s Social Work Centre, Save the Children Fund UK, and The Social Development Research andConsultancy Group.

Bond, T. (2000) “A Study on Street Children in Ho Chi Minh City”, Ho Chi Minh City:Terre des hommes.

Duong, D. (1995) “Street Children: Status and Social Issues worthy of concern”, Ha Noi:MOLISA.

Ennew, J. (1994) “Street and Working Children – A Guide to Planning”, London: Save the

Children United Kingdom.

Hegenauer, E. and Hegenauer, M. (1995) “Working Children in District 8, Ho Chi MinhCity”, Ho Chi Minh City: World Vision International, Vietnam.

MOLISA (5/1999) “Strategy on Preventing and Settling the Street Children Problem 2000-2005”, Ha Noi: Department of Social Protection and Ministry of Labour , Invalids andSocial Affairs (MOLISA)

Save the Children UK (1995) “Farm house work to gold mining, child labour in ruralVietnam”, London: Save the Children United Kingdom.

Theis, J. (2002) “Improving action-oriented research on the worst forms of child labour”,Bangkok: Regional Working Group on Child Labour (RWGCL)

UNICEF ( 1997) “Relationship between Education and Child Labour”, v. 7 (July)

UNICEF - New York (1997) “Education and Child Labour”, Seminar in Oslo, Norway,October, 1997.

Vu, B. (1995) “Child Labour in Vietnam – A Country Report: June – August 1995”, Ha Noi: National Political Publishing House.




8 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bequel, A. and Myer, W. E. (1995) “The First thing is Child Work”, Ha Noi: UNICEF.

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Prostitution and Trafficking, Disability, The Family”, Ha Noi: UNICEF

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Ennew, J. (1994) “Street and Working Children – A Guide to Planning”, London: Save theChildren United Kingdom.

Ennew, J. (1996) “Street and Working Children”, London: Save the Children UnitedKingdom.

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Hegenauer, E. and Hegenauer, M. (1995) “Working Children in District 8, Ho Chi MinhCity”, Ho Chi Minh City: World Vision International, Vietnam.

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MOLISA (1995) “Research Report on Street Children 1995”, Ha Noi: MOLISA.




MOLISA (5/1999) “Strategy on Preventing and Settling the Street Children Problem 2000-2005”, Ha Noi: Department of Social Protection and Ministry of Labour , Invalids andSocial Affairs (MOLISA)

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on the situation of the street children’s family in Ho Chi Minh City”, Ho Chi Minh City:Child Hope Asia.

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Save the Children Sweden (2000) “Children in Domestic Services in Ha Noi” Ha Noi: National Political Publishing House.

Save the Children UK (1995) “Farm house work to gold mining, child labour in ruralVietnam”, London: Save the Children United Kingdom.

“Street Children” (document for the conference on the plight of street children)

Thanh, H. and Ngoc, C (2001) “Labour Code and Ordinance on the Procedure of SettlingDisputes on Labour”, Ho Chi Minh City: Statistics Publishing House.

Theis, J. (2002) “Improving action-oriented research on the worst forms of child labour”,Bangkok: Regional Working Group on Child Labour (RWGCL)

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UNICEF ( 1997) “Relationship between Education and Child Labour”, v. 7 (July)

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UNICEF - New York (1997) “Education and Child Labour”, Seminar in Oslo, Norway,October, 1997.

Van Acoleyen, K. (1996) “Teaching English to Working Children – Evaluation of English

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Vietnam Central Youth Association’s Social Work Centre (1999) “Children in theShadows”, Ha Noi: National Political Publishing House.

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Author Unknown (12/1999) “Working Children in Ho Chi Minh City”, Ha Noi: VietnamYouth Research Institute.

7 Vietnam Accused Detaining Street Children

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