Sending labourers from the province to work abroad has always received the attention, leadership, and direction of the provincial Party Committee, People's Council, and People's Committee; and close coordination and involvement of authorities at all levels, sectors, and localities in the province during implementation. The dissemination of the Party’s guidelines and State policies and laws regarding sending workers abroad under contracts have been strongly enhanced.

In addition, sectors and localities have introduced and created favourable conditions for reputable enterprises licensed by the Ministry of Home Affairs to provide consultations and recruit labourers in the province. Through this, workers have timely access to the latest recruitment information from enterprises sending workers abroad.

During the period 2020-2024, the whole province had 1,356 workers departing for working abroad. The key markets receiving Vietnamese labour included Japan, Taiwan, and the Republic of Korea. The income of labourers working abroad ranges from 25 to 35 million VND (950-1,328 USD) per person per month, which has changed the lives of many families and contributed positively to poverty reduction.

Currently, the province’s labour force aged 15 and above is about 805,000 people, accounting for 57.5% of the total population. However, the rate of trained workers is 63%, and the rate of workers holding certificates or degrees is still low at 28%.

Each year, tens of thousands of young people enter working age, creating significant employment pressure, while local opportunities remain limited. Therefore, developing a well-structured project to promote labour export is deemed essential and urgent.

The Resolution of the 16th provincial Party Congress for the 2025-2030 term also sets specific goals: improving the quality of vocational training associated with the labor market; striving to send 5,000 workers abroad under contracts; and ensuring 100% of communes and wards have labourers working overseas.

Based on the reality and development demands, the province is focusing on implementing the project to send workers from Son La to work abroad under contracts for the period 2025-2030.

The project aims to make labour export a strategic direction in job creation, income improvement, and life enhancement for people, especially in disadvantaged areas and ethnic minority communities. Specific targets include 700 labourers in 2026; 900 in 2027; 1,100 each year in 2028 and 2029; and 1,200 in 2030.

It targets 100% of communes and wards in the province having labourers working abroad. It ensures all workers receive foreign language training, career education, and legal counseling before departure. At least 70% of labourers return to stable employment or create jobs for themselves.

To achieve these goals, the project proposes nine key groups of tasks and solutions, requiring the engagement of the entire political system. Among those are strengthening leadership by Party committees and authorities, assigning specific annual targets to localities, and considering this an important task in socio-economic development plans; and promoting communications and renewing forms of dissemination by creating programmes in both Vietnamese and Thai and Mong ethnic languages to reach the people effectively.

With thorough preparation and a comprehensive system of solutions, the project is expected to contribute to transforming the socio-economic landscape of Son La and realising the goal of sustainable poverty reduction.