Human resources, especially the high-calibre ones, are the most important factor that determines the existence and development of every organisation and business, and this is even more important when the world is entering the digital era. This is also a content in the development strategy that has been being paid special attention by the Military Industry and Telecommunications Group (Viettel) in order to realise its mission of pioneering and leading the national digital transformation, creating a digital society, contributing to the cause of building and protecting the Fatherland.

The achievements that Viettel has achieved in its growth are attributed significantly to the reason that it has drastically, persistently and consistently implemented effective strategies for building and developing human resources. Currently, in the face of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, as well as the rapid development of science and technology in the world, digital transformation has become an inevitable and robust trend, bringing about new development opportunities and growth space, but also posing new challenges to the group. To successfully implement the Development Strategy to 2025, vision to 2030 that "Developing the Group sustainably, maintaining its position as one of the country's leading economic groups, making significant contribution to the country's development; Pioneering in digital transformation and the creation of a digital society", Viettel continues to put on top its human resource development strategy, among others.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visits high-tech production of Viettel

Digital human resources for a global technological corporation

To fulfil its role and mission well, Viettel strives that by 2030 it will possess the top high-quality human resources in Vietnam and be among the leading group in Southeast Asia in terms of digital technology and high-tech research capabilities. Accordingly, in each industry field, it will have at least 03 - 05 regional leading experts (excluding the Group's specific industries), 30% of the Group's personnel are majored in digital technology, and capable of working in the global environment. At the same time, it actively develops additional sources of high-quality human resources in weapons production, high-tech equipment, information technology, information security, and network security for the Ministry of National Defence. To realise this goal, the Group deploys leadership solutions and directs the training and development of high-quality human resources, especially human resources for digital transformation in a synchronous and drastic manner. Accordingly, the Group has been promoting the development of programmes for digital technology human resource synchronously in four aspects: digital management, digital skills training, digital human resources and attracting digital talents.

In terms of digital management, the Group is transitioning from data statistics to proactively analysing and predicting trends in using artificial intelligence and big data in human resources management. It integrates and synchronises training results with human resource management and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. Then, it comprehensively manages students' training records, gradually evaluating the long-term impact of training on the task performance and the quality of human resources at the units. Annually, the Group evaluates the digital transformation of its units according to a set of criteria, in which 4/14 criteria are related to digital human resources. At present, digital technology personnel at the Group accounts for about 30% of its workforce. They are allowed to attend specialised seminars and international professional certification training programmes, such as: CCBA, CBAP, PMP, Oracle Edu Technology Exam Subscription,... to improve their qualifications.

Regarding digital skills training, the Group has built a framework for the scope, content, and training programmes to improve the quality of human resources, focusing on digital competencies and self-learning capabilities; carry out training in digital knowledge, skills, attitudes and culture for officials and employees. At the same time, it plans, trains and fosters its staff according to basic, long-term, intensive programmes and implements technology transfer training; builds a team of leading experts in engineering, business and information technology; strictly complies with regulations on English use. In terms of infrastructure, the Viettel Academy has been built as a modern and scientific working and learning facility, with an environmentally friendly campus, conducive to learning, research, and creative thinking. At the same time, it focuses on developing and building an online learning system (Elearning/LMS) to provide a unified learning database. For digital transformation documents, the lectures on digital transformation, handbooks on digital transformation and 4.0 technology,... have been built and continuously updated and adjusted for 100% of its employees. Every year, the Group holds nearly 100 training courses for more than 30,000 staff in face-to-face and online forms.

Viettel Solutions was ranked among top ten digital businesses in Vietnam

When it comes to digital human resources, the Group puts into practice its talent management mechanisms which are customised for each employee; improves the quality and expands the digital transformation excellence programme (Viettel DX Excellence) to form a strong pool of talents in the fields of information technology, data science, artificial intelligence, and high-technology industry research. At the same time, the Group pays attention to training to improve management, expertise and professional capacity for cadres and employees; boldly appoint capable young cadres to take on managerial and command positions. In the coming time, the Group will thoroughly apply information technology in managing industry activities: link training records with working records; digitise training activities and processes; synchronise training schedules with working schedule and professional development capacity framework of its cadres and employees.

The Group attaches special importance to attracting digital talents through building professional and effective recruitment mechanisms and policies to attract domestic and overseas leading experts and managers, especially in the fields of artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, information technology, research and development. In particular, it promulgates and implements policies to recruit high-skill personnel and foreign personnel and generates a high-quality workforce; attracts new technology talents, talented interns, and selects the best candidates for key industries. At the same time, it develops a programme to attract human resources for defence industry, high-tech research and effectively implements cooperation programmes with big universities, etc. To date, the Group has built a comprehensive set of digital transformation technology solutions across the fields, together with a pool of high-quality personnel who are always ready to meet the requirements of digital transformation; builds high-skill internal lecturers, ready to pioneer in training and spread domestic and international knowledge.

Digital human resources serving the nation, national defence and security

In addition to internal training activities, Viettel promotes training to change thinking and awareness about digital transformation, building digital culture combined with introducing the world's digital transformation trends to Military and civilian organisations, agencies and units with positive results. Notably, the Group coordinated with Command 86, the Navy, the General Department of Logistics, and the Department of Military Schools to hold information technology and digital transformation training for more than 1,400 officers and soldiers of various units, position in the entire army; piloted the daily learning application at 22 Military schools to find digital transformation training solutions; coordinated and supported training to improve the quality of education and training for managers and lecturers of Military schools at the Viettel Academy. Moreover, the Group regularly exchanges experience, supports digital transformation training, and smart urban construction for ministries, branches, and localities with good results.

In the coming years, the construction of e-Government, national digital transformation, and digital transformation in the Ministry of National Defence will become even more urgent. Promoting its role as a pioneer in this field, Viettel will focus on building plans to ensure resources, contributing to the effective implementation of digital capacity improvement programmes throughout the Military; directly participate in human resource training for digital transformation in the Military. In particular, it attaches importance to human resource training and implementing the digital transformation project in the Ministry of National Defence; gradually brings digital transformation and cyber warfare training into curricula at military academies and schools; closely combines training at school with on-the-job training; strengthens training and issuance of information technology certificates from a number of big companies, such as: Cisco, Microsoft, security certificates, information security,... according to the demand of each major and units throughout the Military.

In the context that education and training in general, and that in the Military in particular, has gradually been brought to the digital environment and applied with new technology, Viettel will accompany and participate in human resource training, and share knowledge transfer with programmes held by the Ministry of National Defence; research and provide digital university solutions to promote digital transformation in academies and schools, thereby encouraging learners to be proactive in learning. In the short term, the Group focuses on implementing the digital university model at the Army Academy, then applying to other academies. At the same time, it promotes cooperation with academies, schools, specialised agencies and units to deploy training to promote the strengths of each party, effectively exploiting facilities, etc. What’s more, it will proactively deploy solutions to monitor and ensure information security in all military academies and schools to ensure that the contents of lectures are absolutely secured.

Last but not least, the Group will continue to promote its key role, coordinate with ministries, branches and localities to implement solutions to promote digital transformation and contribute high-quality human resources, meeting the common development trend, making Vietnam a high-tech hub and an important partner of the world's technological powers.

Major General NGUYEN THANH NAM, Deputy General Director of the Group