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 Local Partner Organisation Funding Organisations Co-ordinators of Research Research Team

Report Writer/Editor Report Translation

Education for Development (EFD) Ho Chi Minh City Child Welfare Foundation (HCWF) UNICEF (through HCWF), Child Hope UK, EFD Koen Van Acoleyen Kendra Frew Craig Thomas Roy Little Tran Minh Hai Do Van Nam Luu Thi My Linh Hoang Thanh Linh Nguyen Chi Tam Do Thi Bach Phat Le Khanh Hoang Thien Truc Kendra Frew Nguyen Anh Phuoc June 2003

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Table of Contents
FOREWORD......................................................................................................................4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...............................................................................................5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY................................................................................................6 1 INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................... 8 1.1 THE CONTEXT .......................................................................................................... 8 1.2 OBJECTIVES OF RESEARCH....................................................................................... 8 1.3 DEFINITION OF STREET CHILDREN ....................................................................... 9 2 METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................... 9 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 3 PARTICIPANTS .......................................................................................................... 9 LOCATION AND TIME OF RESEARCH ....................................................................... 11 RESEARCH TOOLS .................................................................................................. 11 INTERVIEWERS ....................................................................................................... 12 LIMITATIONS.......................................................................................................... 13

LITERATURE REVIEW ...................................................................................... 13 3.1 STREET CHILD SPECIFIC ISSUES ......................................................................... 13 3.2 TRAINING ISSUES ................................................................................................... 13 3.3 EMPLOYMENT ISSUES ............................................................................................ 14

RESULTS OF THE RESEARCH ........................................................................ 15 4.1 VOCATIONAL TRAINING......................................................................................... 15 4.1.1 Training Programmes for Street Children.................................................... 15 4.1.2 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 ...................................... 20 4.1.5 Barriers to Training...................................................................................... 20 4.1.6 Lessons for Training Centres........................................................................ 21 4.2 EMPLOYMENT ........................................................................................................ 22 4.2.1 Importance of Work ...................................................................................... 22 4.2.2 Jobs for Street Children ................................................................................ 23 4.2.3 Government Regulations and Employment................................................... 24 4.2.4 Labour Market Needs current and future .................................................. 24 4.2.5 Why Graduates of Training Programmes do not find employment .............. 25 4.2.6 Unsafe Work Environment............................................................................ 25 4.2.7 Characteristics of Employers........................................................................ 25 4.2.8 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 2 Education for Development

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS.................................................. 28 5.1 CONCLUSIONS ........................................................................................................ 28 5.2 RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................................................. 30

APPENDICES ......................................................................................................... 31 6.1 APPENDIX 1: PARTICIPANTS OF RESEARCH AND THEIR LOCATION......................... 31 6.2 APPENDIX 2: QUESTIONNAIRES FOR ALL TARGET GROUPS .................................... 34 6.2.1 Street Children (Group 1)............................................................................. 34 6.2.2 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: REASONS FOR LEAVING A JOB .......................................................... 50 6.4 APPENDIX 4: CHARACTERISTICS OF EMPLOYERS ................................................... 53

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REFERENCE LIST................................................................................................ 56 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................... 57

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Foreword
It was in a meeting of the Project Development Committee in 2001 that members from the Ho 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 vital importance. Thus the idea for this research was based on the need to assist street children in gaining 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 this report. As a result of much time and effort from everyone involved, it is with great satisfaction that we can now distribute this research report. The information gathered will hopefully 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 street children and their needs. It is anticipated that this research provides the stimulus for further work as a vital component of improving childrens lives.

Mrs. Tran Thi Ngoc Bich Executive Vice Chairperson Ho Chi Minh City Child Welfare Foundation VIETNAM

Mr. Joeri Leysen Country Co-ordinator Education for Development VIETNAM

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Acknowledgements
Education for Development (EFD) would like to thank our partner, the Ho Chi Minh City Child 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 interviews and group discussions for the research. We would also like to thank UNICEF and Child Hope UK for their generous financial support as well as their patience given the research took a little longer than expected. A special thank you to Ms Heli Mikkola and Mr Tran Cong Binh from UNICEF for their help during the development of the questionnaires and to Ms Heli for her valuable feedback on the draft report. This report would not exist without the vital input and ideas from all 100 participants of the research. Their honesty and openness when answering our questions was very much appreciated. The time each participant gave up to answer our rather lengthy questionnaires was significant and so we would especially like to thank everyone who participated in this important research for their valuable time. Without the great work of the research team this report would also not have come to fruition. In particular, we would like to thank Mr Craig Thomas, Mr Roy Little, Ms Hoang Thien Truc, Mr Tran Minh Hai, Mr Do Van Nam, Ms Luu Thi My Linh, Mr Hoang Thanh Linh, 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, Ms Kendra Frew for taking over the co-ordinator role and working very hard to finish the report by the set deadline, Ms Luu Thi My Linh and Mr Hoang Thanh Linh for assisting Kendra throughout the research, and Ms Lisa Crouch for her valuable feedback on the draft report. 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 Nhu Diem Trang, Mr Tran Tu Minh, Ms Nguyen Thi Thu Thanh, Ms Nguyen Ngoc Le, and Ms Hoang 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 and support for the future of the children of Vietnam. Joeri Leysen Country Co-ordinator Education for Development VIETNAM June 2003 5 Education for Development

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 children have to training and employment opportunities. Although there is a wealth of knowledge and experience available on how to improve vocational training services to children, this experience has not been documented and therefore cannot be easily shared. As a result, these children and all major stakeholders, including vocational training providers, job service centres, potential employers, international non-government organisations and government 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 children about their vocational training and employment needs. The research will identify what types of vocational training programmes and jobs are most suited to street children and also what training and jobs meet the needs of the current and future labour market. This knowledge in turn will help to improve the current services for street children and hopefully enable their access to suitable vocational training programmes and employment opportunities. Methodology The literature review identified the most relevant target groups for the purpose of this research. 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, and directors and staff of vocational training programmes for street children in HCMC. One hundred 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 programmes and 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, the most 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 programmes suitable for street children, but it does highlight the importance of the labour market in determining suitability and future success. Other factors determining suitability of a training programme are that they should be short term, cheap or free, conveniently located and practical skills focused. The programmes should also allow street children to work and study 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 one of the main barriers. Providing cheap or free training to street children will help to 6 Education for Development

overcome this barrier. Government regulations requiring the provision of ID papers and resident permits to attend training and to get a job were also identified as a main barrier to the 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 hopefully assist these two groups in understanding and meeting the particular training and employment needs of street children. For training centres, the provision of personal guidance and support was considered very important for street children. Training centres should also help street children find a job after training through introductions to potential employers and facilitating work experience opportunities. A highly effective teaching method for street children was the practical component of a training course and therefore a combination 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 to earn money in order to support their family and/or themselves is vital and is an important factor 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 children interviewed prefer to work in teams and hence jobs where employees must work alone may not be entirely appropriate for street children. The type of work street children like is also another area of consideration for employers. Most children interviewed said they liked routine work, but less girls than boys like physically demanding work. The management style and personality or characteristics of an employer also play a major role in determining long term retention of street children on the job. Recommendations While many lessons were identified by the research, future recommendations were also made. 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 information should be gathered and disseminated to all, particularly training providers. The need to increase awareness of the specific issues of street children through additional research was another important recommendation of this research. Reducing the barriers to attending training and gaining employment for street children is vital. While raising the childrens awareness on what training courses and jobs are available to them is pertinent for their future success.

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1 1.1

INTRODUCTION 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 already under- and unemployment. In addition, 65% of Vietnamese live in rural areas where jobs are scarce and so there is a continuous and gradual migration towards urban centres such as Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). In socio-economic terms, HCMC is the most developed city in Vietnam. This growth has resulted in a rapid increase in the citys population with migrants moving to HCMC in search 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. Those that 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 to assist 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 in high demand from these children which is why providing vocational training programmes is a common strategy amongst many international and local organisations. However, success rates of training and employment for these children remain low despite HCMC having the highest level of economic development in the country. Although there is a wealth of experience available on how to improve vocational training services to children in HCMC, this experience remains dispersed in an environment which is 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 childrens skills and interests, and about the needs of the current and future labour market; potential employers lack information about schemes that support socially excluded children to secure formal employment, and about children living and working on the street, which prejudices their view of this potentially attractive sector of the workforce. Objectives of Research

1.2

After completing the literature review (see section 3) it became apparent that street children in HCMC lacked vital information and access to vocational training and employment opportunities. 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 8 Education for Development

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 the relevant authorities, vocational training centres, potential employers and job service centres with important information on the interests and preferences of street children with regard to vocational training and employment. This knowledge in turn will help to improve the current services for street children and hopefully enable their access to suitable vocational training programmes and employment opportunities. 1.3 Definition of Street Children

For the purposes of this research the authors have used the following definition when referring to the term Street Children: Street Children are defined as: children and adolescents in HCMC up to 18 years old who do not attend formal school or from 18-22 years old who did not graduate from 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 report unless otherwise stated. 2 2.1 METHODOLOGY Participants

Representatives from the following groups were selected to participate in face to face interviews: Number of Target Groups Participants Street Children (2 Groups x 20) 40 International Organisations working in HCMC 10 Relevant Authorities and Government Agencies in HCMC 10 Directors and Personnel Managers of Businesses in HCMC 15 Job Service Centres in HCMC 5 Directors and Staff of Vocational Training Programmes for 10 the General Public in HCMC Directors and Staff of Vocational Training Programmes for 10 Street Children in HCMC Total 100

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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 as yet 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

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2.2

Location and Time of research

Interviews with participants from selected target groups were conducted in 12 Districts covering 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 24 January 2003. 2.3 Research tools

A literature review was composed to help identify appropriate research questions as well as important areas of focus that were used as a basis for the research. The literature review also helped to identify the most appropriate target groups for the research (as mentioned above). The data for the research was gathered through the use of structured questionnaires during face to face interviews. Prior to conducting the interviews, questionnaires were tested amongst the target groups to ensure that the most comprehensive information could be obtained during the interviews and that both the interviewers and interviewees understood the 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 second questionnaire was sent to all participants, as an alternative method, containing questions that would have been addressed at the group discussion. The procedure of using these research tools has been detailed below: Street Children (2 Groups) After the interviews, group discussions were held simultaneously with both Group 1 and Group 2. One boy and two girls attended the discussion for Group 1. The low attendance was due to the police taking the rest of the children to a shelter far from the place where the group 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 to work or were too far from the meeting place to attend the discussion. All children were informed 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 attended the group discussion, with only one having been interviewed (four other work colleagues were sent in the interviewees place). All other participants were too busy to attend. 11 Education for Development

 International Organisations Working in HCMC As the information obtained during the interviews from this target group was almost complete, a group discussion was not considered necessary. Instead, an email was sent to all 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 only two out of ten accepted the invitation. The remaining participants were either too busy to attend or could not be contacted so the decision was made to not conduct the group discussion. Instead, a prepaid envelope addressed to EFD and letter with specific questions that 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 in HCMC After the interviews, participants were invited to attend the group discussion, however none were 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 was mailed to all participants. Two out of ten letters were returned with their completed questionnaires. Job Service Centres in HCMC After the interviews, participants were invited to attend the group discussion, however none were 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 was mailed to all participants. One out of five letters was returned with a completed questionnaire. Directors and Personnel Managers of Businesses in HCMC After the interviews, participants were invited to attend the group discussion, however none were 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 was mailed to all participants Two out of fifteen letters were returned with their completed questionnaires. 2.4 Interviewers

A diverse team of interviewers was used to gather information for this research. The team included both national and international staff from the HCWF, EFD and one local Consultancy 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 an impact on the level of responses gathered from participants. 12 Education for Development

2.5

Limitations

The following methodological limitations were identified: The extensive length of the questionnaires and the limited time of participants resulted in incomplete questionnaires. The need for 90 separate interview responses to be translated into English from Vietnamese (with the exception of 10 interviews from International Organisations Working in HCMC as they were conducted in English) increased the risk of incorrect responses being recorded. Busy work schedules of participants resulted in very few attending the discussion groups, or the wrong participants attending, therefore minimal information and verification of data was obtained through this method. An alternative method was used (sending a questionnaire to participants) which resulted in just over 10% response rate so that data is still incomplete in certain areas. The sample size of the target groups was too small. There were also too many sample groups 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 training highlighted 3 main issues: 3.1 Street Child Specific Issues

A common reality for street children is that they often do not have the same support networks as other children. A street childs family unit is rarely together and therefore these children lack access to the parental guidance and support vital to their psychological development and growth. Without the support network of a family structure, street children often compensate by developing networks with other street children that do not always lead to positive consequences for the child. The street child tends to develop personality characteristics 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 may indicate the presence of a condition known as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), have been cited as common in street children (Vu, 1995 and Binh, et al, 1995). 3.2 Training Issues

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

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The more tangible factors relate to the location of the training centres. Some training centres 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 both direct 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 needs of the labour market (UNICEF, 1997). Access to training is also limited for these children as they may not possess the identification papers and residence permits required to enrol in a 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 to the 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 employers of laziness on behalf of the child (Binh, et al, 1995). The low level of basic education street children commonly possess also affects retention levels, particularly in the case where children do not grasp the concepts as quickly as other students and become bored and drop out of the course (Binh, et al, 1995). In many cases street children were not given the opportunity to choose which training they want to attend and so they are not motivated to study 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 alternative teaching methods that cater to the childrens personality and level of education to ensure that they remain appropriately challenged throughout the training (Binh, et al, 1995). Introducing flexible training schedules (UNICEF, 1997b and Theis, 2002) that allow children to work and learn at the same time have proven to be beneficial (Hegenauer and Hegenauer, 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 market and that jobs are available on completion of a course, street children will be more inclined to complete the training (Ennew, 1994) 3.3 Employment Issues

Issues relating to employment for street children are closely linked to the issues raised above. As already mentioned, the particular personality characteristics of street children may manifest into negative behaviours at work. The apparent unfamiliarity of these characteristics 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 necessary in securing and maintaining jobs for these children (Vu, 1995). Studies show that street children consider, after family and relatives, a good or stable job as most important to them which is encouraging for employers (Bond, 2000). Also effectively orienting and preparing street children for employment may help to reduce these issues. 14 Education for Development

Evidence suggests that the reason why children leave their job is in part due to the low salaries children receive whilst at work (Duong, 1995). The fact that street children can earn 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 to offer both financial and non-financial incentives that keep street children from leaving their employment. Employers must also not neglect the psycho-social development of street children by incorporating social activities such as team building exercises into the working routine and hence improve retention levels of their employees (Save the Children UK, 1995 and UNICEF New York, 1997). 4 4.1 4.1.1 RESULTS OF THE RESEARCH Vocational Training 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 all girls interviewed and 70% of all boys interviewed said they would like to attend a training course so that they could get a stable job, improve their current situation and support themselves or their families. The most preferred training course chosen by six out of nine girls 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 this question). These statistics are reflected by the street children interviewed who actually have attended, 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 vehicle repair 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 where the 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, albeit to a much lesser extent, vehicle repair and sewing/tailor courses as successful for these children for the same reasons mentioned above. Participants who provide training specifically 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 job upon graduating from the course. Contrary to this, participants who provide training to the general public believe that electronics and basic computer skill courses are most successful with students, but the majority have defined this success on high grades and high attendance 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 were unsuccessful with street children. Most groups mentioned that unsuccessful training 15 Education for Development

programmes were ones that taught high technical skills (such as software design), were too long, did not provide much opportunity to practice skills learned due to lack of equipment and were too expensive. Participants took into consideration outcomes when determining the 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 unsuccessful training programmes highlighted in the paragraph above. Table 1 identifies their specific comments 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 most suitable training programmes are short term and do not require high educational levels. An important addition identified by this target group is that the course should be scheduled so that 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 these fields 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 dont 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 providing free tuition and having an enthusiastic teacher. Other comments made included the training centre 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 encouraging teacher that provided practical guidance and free tuition. Other things included: motivated and skilled teachers; humorous teachers; well equipped centre; teachers who do not beat apprentices; training centre located near to their house; and on the job training opportunities. For those girls who had attended training, the teachers dedication and skill level was considered highly. The boys, however, considered the practical component of a course to be very important.

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It is interesting to note that during the interviews, all girls who had attended training said there was nothing they did not like about the training course they attended. However, in the group discussion the response was very different. The following is a list of things the female 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 to what 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 highly educated 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 like about the training course. Others said they did not like the lack of teaching equipment, high tuition 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 was addressed directly with two target groups, International organisations and Government agencies, and indirectly with both groups of training providers. Three out of ten participants in Government agencies said there were no needs or problems, another three said they did not know what the needs or problems were and the remaining participants noted that limited funds and time children have for training was an issue. Participants from International organisations made more extensive comments with regard to these issues. See Table 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 local organisations) 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

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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 dont want to leave the streets because they can earn money 3. Drop out rate is high children not interested in course, not committed 3. 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 free vocational training programmes 5. Children come from rural areas so they dont 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 training facilities by making note of the old equipment, small space for training, substandard infrastructure and less qualified teachers. On the contrary, participants who provide training specifically to street children focus more on the childrens limitations such as high drop out rates due to the pressure of having to work and study at the same time, low education levels and children not having tools and materials to practice the skills they learn in the training course. 4.1.3 Labour Market Needs current and future

Table 4 details what participants from businesses believe are the training programmes most in 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 future labour market, approximately half of participants did not know. This statistic highlights the limited 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 develop handicraft businesses.

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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. Carpenters 4. Simple technical jobs (equal ranking) 5. Painters 6. Foreign languages 7. Electricity/electronics 7. 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, as well 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 programmes in 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 that web design courses meet its demands. No other responses were provided which again highlights the limited amount of information this target groups has on the needs of the labour market, both current and future. Participants who provide specific training for street children gave more detailed responses with regard to the needs of the current and future labour market. Table 5 and Table 6 detail responses 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 7. Embroidery 2. Motorcycle repair 7. Chef (equal ranking) 3. English 8. Wood carving 4. Tailoring 9. Computer 5. Shoe making 10. Photography 6. Hair dresser 11. Electronics

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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 the training of street children by providing financial support and permitting them to legally train for a job before they turn 16. However, half of these participants believe government regulations hinder the provision of training through the requirement of ID papers and resident 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 also acknowledge that the requirement for resident permits from these children may have excluded them from attending training. This barrier to training becomes relevant when the enrolment criteria for two training centres which specifically cater to street children is an ID 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 no money or time was the main reason for not attending a training course. Cost was considered the main barrier, with fees and opportunity costs being the most difficult cost for girls and fees and transport costs being the most difficult for boys. All of these girls and eight out of ten boys said they could not make any contribution to the cost of training. The cost of fees and tools of those children who have attended training were covered by an external party. All participants working in International organisations and 90% of participants in Government organisations are aware that costs of training make it difficult for street children to attend training, with the majority of participants stating that it is both direct and indirect costs that are the most difficult for them to meet. Interestingly 50% of participants who 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 20 Education for Development

training to street children was their low education level followed by the lack of tools and money. 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 the training 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, and motivating 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 street children 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 majority state 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 personal guidance 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 guidance and support to students, although only three examples were provided (i.e. practical guidance, 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 and support 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 children interviewed 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 children actually attending training as only two centres for both boys and girls provided both meals and accommodation. Participants working for International organisations and Government agencies were not all convinced that the provision of meals and accommodation was the duty 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 working for 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 21 Education for Development

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 received assistance with finding a job from the training centre, however no examples of how they received 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 provide training for street children help with job search through introductions to potential employers. Almost all managers of businesses believe that on the job training is the most effective teaching method for personnel without a high school education. This is because they can learn a skill and practice on the job whilst earning money at the same time. The fact that eleven 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 International organisations 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 4.2.1 Employment Importance of Work

In the interviews, 50% of girls who have not attended training said that the most important aspect 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 doing well 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 to the 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 in Appendix 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 as the second most common reason to leave a job for girls who had not attended training and the least common reason for the boys. This ranking for the boys cannot be said to be representative 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 22 Education for Development

reasons did not involve income, but rather because they did not like the work or it was too hard, boring or stressful. Nevertheless, these children still ranked low salary as the third most common reason why they would quit their job. Participants from International organisations 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 the most common reason. The most common reason for this group was family difficulties with 70% of participants stating this reason. Managers from businesses also did not think that low income was the most common reason to leave employment and ranked it tenth, with not liking the job and not following company regulations as the most common reason. Participants from Job Service Centres disagreed and stated that the main reason why street children leave work is due to low salary. 4.2.2 Jobs for Street Children

The most popular job for girls who had not attended training was sewing/tailor (50%) and for boys vehicle repair, which is representative of the most popular training courses these groups selected (as discussed above). For the girls, picking up bottles and selling Lottery tickets were the least popular, but 80% of boys did not know what jobs they would not like to 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 attended training. The girls in this target group were more specific about the kind of jobs they would not 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 dont pay overtime, jobs with no fixed work schedule, and jobs that dont give children more time for study. The boys simply mentioned they do not like to pick up bottles, be a vendor or do construction work. Participants from International organisations believe that the jobs most suitable for street children are those which use practical skills, are easy to understand, have close contact with a 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 that keep children motivated. Participants from Government agencies tend to reflect the views of 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 childrens capacity and the children can be paid on a daily or weekly basis.

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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/production 6. Handicraft 6. Wood carving (equal ranking) 7. Factory work 4.2.3 Government Regulations and Employment

Participants working for International organisations believe government regulations can aid the employment of street children by setting age restrictions to protect them from exploitation, but then hinder their employment by requiring ID papers, resident permits and health checks in order to get a job. Participants from Government agencies agree that the requirement of ID papers and resident permits does in fact hinder the employment of street children, but state that the regulations do aid these children through financial means and creating advantageous conditions for children to find employment. Managers of business also agree that the requirement of ID papers and residence permits hinder their employment, although participants from Job Service Centres did not note these hindrances stating 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 the needs 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 8. Embroidery and knitting 2. Tailor/sewing 9. Marketing 3. Carpenter 10.Electricity in technical works 4. Industrial sewing 11.Computer skills 5. Mechanics 12.High technical skills 6. Machine repair 13.Foreign language skills 7. Basic electronics 24 Education for Development

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 enough skills 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 too high; they lack the will to find a job; and that there is no demand for their skills (no jobs available). 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 not want 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 current status as workers. For example, the girls from both target groups were more likely to focus on the exploitative or abusive dangers at work, such as sexual harassment or foul mouthed colleagues, whereas boys focused more on the physical environments such as dirty/unhygienic environments or dangerous places such as construction sites. The boys also noted that beatings/scolding from an employer was also an unsafe working environment where they would not work. All participants from Government agencies and International organisations recognised both exploitative or physically dangerous environments as unsafe for street children. These target groups also consider working on the street an unsafe environment for street children. However, exploitative/abusive dangers were not mentioned by managers of businesses who focused primarily on the physically dangerous environments such as fire/chemical hazards and 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 like about employers (see Appendix 4 for detailed lists of these characteristics). In general, the children tended to state similar characteristics. They wanted a happy, helpful employer and did not want one that was overly strict and who scolds employees. Their opinions are important to note especially when all children consider the bad characteristics of an employer a good reason to leave a job (see Appendix 3). Also important to note is that approximately half of managers of businesses that employ street children consider their management style as participative. 25 Education for Development

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 would stay with a good employer for the long term. None of the girls mentioned they would stay for 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 the majority of participants working for Job Service Centres and training providers for the general public and street children. These groups also believe, with the exception of participants who provide training specifically to street children, that short term contracts are more beneficial for the career development of these children, although no reasons were given as to why they hold this belief. Half of the participants working in International organisations believe that street children are more likely to be employed in short term contracts, 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 childrens lives and will 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 beneficial for the career development of street children because it gives the children time to adjust to the 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 the remaining one third stating their staff work individually. Twelve managers said there was an 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 would consider approximately 500,000 to 600,000 VND as their minimum monthly salary (the lowest 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 to 1,000,000 VND with the girls accepting a lower amount than the boys per month. In terms of benefits they want from the employer, all children interviewed said they wanted a stable salary 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.

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On the job, the minimum monthly salary that managers of businesses pay their employees ranges from 200,000 VND to 1,150,000 VND. This range falls below the childrens minimum expectation and goes just slightly higher than their top estimate. This indicates that 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 all children interviewed indicated that they liked routine work, but less girls than boys said they like physically demanding work. 4.2.12 Training Whilst at Work Seventy percent of children who have not attended training and almost 100% of children who have attended training, consider receiving training at work either important or very important. 4.2.13 Conditions of Employment Participants working for Job Service Centres and training centres for the general public did not know what the conditions of employment were for street children. Participants from training centres who provide training for street children said that the conditions are usually good if they work for large organisations (i.e. 8 hour day with only occasional overtime with 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 to the 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 most appropriate conditions of employment are the same conditions as other Vietnamese workers 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 that the most appropriate conditions of employment for street children are salary paid on a daily and weekly basis, simple jobs, stable jobs, and that employers understand the children and care for them.

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5 5.1

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS Conclusions

The main objective of this research was to identify the most suitable training programmes and 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, the most frequently mentioned was sewing/tailor courses for girls and motorbike repair courses for 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 does highlight 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 limited number of training courses and jobs were identified as meeting the needs of the current and future labour market indicates that participants might lack vital information about the labour market to make more informed suggestions. With regard to suitable training programmes for street children, other lessons learnt were numerous. The most important lessons highlight the need for short term courses that are cheap or free, conveniently located and practical skills focused. The programmes should also allow street children to work and study at the same time since earning money is an important part of their daily survival. From the childrens perspective, the dedication, enthusiasm and skill level of the teacher was also very important. Providing cheap or free training to street children will help to overcome one of the main barriers to attending training these children are faced with, i.e. cost of training. The fact that nearly all children interviewed said that they could not make any contribution to the cost of training highlights the need for free tuition. Government regulations requiring the provision of ID papers and residence permits to attend training and to get a job prove to be a substantial hindrance to the training and employment of street children. This is because the majority of these children do not possess such documentation due to their current circumstances of living on the street. Overcoming this barrier is a major challenge for the community as a whole. From the data other information was collected which include lessons for training centres and 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 as very important. Similarly, most participants believe that a training centre should help street children find a job after training through introductions to potential employers and facilitating work experience opportunities. The provision of meals and accommodation was not considered the responsibility of a training centre, although the provision of meals was considered more important than the provision of accommodation. As already mentioned above, the practical component of a training course is considered a highly effective method of teaching for street children which is also an important lesson for training centres. Generally speaking, a combination of both practical and theoretical teaching methods should be adopted when training street children to ensure effective learning. 28 Education for Development

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 lot of 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 do so for reasons of income (see 4.2.1). Nevertheless, the lesson for employers is quite clearly that street children place a lot of importance on earning a good income so that they can support themselves and their family. The research does indicate that children interviewed may not have an entirely realistic view of the appropriate salaries paid for certain jobs. This may be due to the fact that a child can earn a lot of money working on the street which does not 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 when considering long term retention of street children on the job. From the research it was apparent that children prefer to stay in jobs long term which is beneficial for both the employer and employee. Another point for employers to note is the high importance street children place on socialising 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. In this research, most managers of business placed children in jobs which allowed for some socialising at work which would have a positive impact on their psycho-social development. The type of work generally available for street children is physically demanding 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, vocational training centres, potential employers and job service centres with important information on the interests and preferences of street children with regard to vocational training and employment. This knowledge in turn will help to improve the current services for street children and hopefully enable their access to suitable vocational training programmes and employment opportunities.

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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 street children. They are as follows: More information on the current and future labour market needs must be gathered and disseminated to all target groups, in particular training providers. Major stakeholders, such as training providers, businesses and government departments, need to help reduce the barriers to attending training and gaining employment for street children (i.e. cost of training and government regulations). Increase awareness of the specific issues of street children through additional research so that all stakeholders have a better understanding of their current situation and particular needs. Raising the childrens awareness on what training courses are available to them and offering 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.

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6 6.1

APPENDICES Appendix 1: Participants of Research and their Location Participants Children from the following areas: District 1, 4 & 7 Terres de homme (Tdh) Phu Nhuan District Triangle Generation Humanitaire (TGH) Tan Binh District Maison Chance Binh Chanh District Christina Noble Childrens Foundation District 3 UNICEF District 1 Environment and Development in Action (ENDA) District 10 World Vision International District 1 Saigon Childrens Charity District 3 Enfants du Monde District 3 Education for Development (EFD) District 1 Committee for population, Family and Children (CPFC) of Protection and Care for Children - Binh Chanh District Committee of Protection and Care for Children District 7 Committee of Protection and Care for Children - Go Vap District Committee of Care for Children and Family District 1 Peoples Committee - District 2 Peoples 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 Social Affairs District 3 Committee for Children, Family and Planning District 5 No. 40 10

Target Group Street Children (2 Groups) International Organisations working in HCMC

Relevant Authorities and Government Agencies in HCMC

10

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Directors and Personnel Managers of Business in HCMC

Tan Phat Refrigerator Mechanics Company Binh Thanh District Hong Thanh Shoe Making Enterprise District 4 Minh Quang Handicraft Enterprise District 5 Vietnam Disabled Childrens Protection Association Tan Binh District Minh Cuong Aluminum Building Company District 1 Gas Station Number 93 District 3 Hoang Thinh Enterprise (Wooden Furniture Manufacturer) 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 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 Employees Center (PROFEC) District 3 Training Centre District 1 Training Centre District 3 (2 Interviews) Training Centre District 6 Training Centre District 10 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 Binh District

15

Job Service Centres in HCMC

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

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Directors and Staff of Vocational Training Programmes for Street Children 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 Childrens Charity District 3 Duc Minh Vocational Training Centre District 1 A Dong Technical and Vocational School District Tan Binh The Thong Nhat Driving School District 10 The Womens Union - District 4

10

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6.2 6.2.1

Appendix 2: Questionnaires for all Target Groups 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 TRAINING 9 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 Dont 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 TRAINING 14 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, opportunity cost, 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 Dont know If yes, what certificates (if known)? 21 What teaching methods do you prefer? Please mark with an x all that applies. 34 Education for Development

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 Dont know 23 Would you attend training if the centre does not help you find a job? Yes No Dont know 24 Do you think a training centre should also provide you with personal guidance and support? Yes No Dont know 25 Would you attend training if the centre does not provide personal guidance and support? Yes No Dont 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 Dont know Why 28 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 Dont 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 Dont know Why? 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? List 43 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)? 35 Education for Development

45 46 47 48 49

Do you like physically demanding work? Yes No Dont know Do you like routine work? Yes No Dont know How far are you willing to travel to work everyday? Would you be willing to change town/move to get a job? Yes No Dont know 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 Dont know

FOLLOW UP 50 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 INFORMATION 1 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 TRAINING 10 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 a certificate? Yes No If yes, which certificate? 14 What were the costs of the vocational training programme? (both direct and indirect costs) 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? 36 Education for Development

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 Dont know If yes, how? If no, why not? 25 Would you like to attend another vocational training programme? Yes No Dont know If yes, why? If no, why not? 26 If you were to attend another vocational training programme in the future, which one would 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 you work? 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 Dont know Why? 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? List 43 Of the following, what would you prefer? 37 Education for Development

44 45 46 47 48 49

A lot of freedom at work Don't know Close guidance and supervision What kind of work schedule do you prefer? Time of day (morning, afternoon, evening, night)? Work hours (per day, per week)? Do you like physically demanding work? Yes No Dont know Do you like routine work? Yes No Dont know How far are you willing to travel to work everyday? Would you be willing to change town/move to get a new job? Yes No Dont know 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 Dont know

FOLLOW UP 50 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. 6.2.3 Directors and Personnel Managers of Business in HCMC

BACKGROUND Collect name card to find out name, address, position, responsibility, etc. of the respondent. 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? RECRUITMENT 3 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?

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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? Do you offer alternative work schedules for employees who request more flexible working hours? Yes No 13 What is the typical duration of employment of employees who do not have a high school 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 apply Authoritative 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? TRAINING 23 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 high school education qualifications? JOB OPPORTUNITY 26 Have you ever employed street children in your organisation? Yes No If no, would you? Yes No Why? 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 do not possess a high school education? 31 What business sectors do you believe would be most interested in employing street children? For which jobs? Why? 39 Education for Development

32 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? 33 How can the employment of street children be facilitated? FOLLOW UP 34 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? Thank you for your co-operation. 6.2.4 Directors and Staff of Vocational Training Programmes for the General Public in HCMC

BACKGROUND Collect name card; if not any, ask background questions 1, 2 & 3 1. 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 run 6. 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, permanent residence); etc. 8. How do you screen your students prior to 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 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 at home doing homework)What training levels (basic, intermediate, advanced)? Do you specialise in any area of training? Of the following, which are provided to students of your training centres? Please mark x in the box that applies. Meals Accommodation BOTH meals and Accommodation None of these 11. What teaching/training methods are used in your centre? 40 Education for Development

(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 the current labour market? List 15. What vocational training programmes are required to meet the needs of the future labour 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 attend your 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 to enrol? Yes No If yes, which conditions? 26. What vocational training programs do you think are most suitable for street children? 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 Contract Why? 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 with those offered by organisations who deal directly with street children?

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FOLLOW UP 32. 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 Thank you for your co-operation. 6.2.5 Directors and Staff of Vocational Training Programmes for Street Children in HCMC

BACKGROUND Collect name card; if not any, ask background questions 1, 2 & 3 1 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 run 6 How many students do you enrol per year? ENROLMENT 7 What criteria do you use for enrolment of street children? For example, age; sex; educational level; minimum health requirements; legal status (identification documents, 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 these training programmes? How many hours do students study per day (including hours spent 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? Please mark x in the box that applies. Meals Accommodation BOTH meals and Accommodation 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? 42 Education for Development

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 that you 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? List 18. 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 Contract Why? 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 UP 32. 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? Thank you for your co-operation.

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6.2.6

International Organisations Working in HCMC

BACKGROUND Collect 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 organisations definition of Street Children) in HCMC? TRAINING 5. Do you know what training programmes are available to street children? List 6. 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 the failure? 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 to training? 14. Are graduates of training programmes adequately trained for employment? Yes No 15. What are your organisations future plans in the area of vocational training? Why have these become future plans? VARIABLES OF TRAINING 16. Do you think training costs make it difficult for street children to attend vocational training? Yes No Which 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 personal guidance and support? Yes No 19. Is certification of vocational training important to access employment? Yes No

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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 most appropriate for street children? Special centre for street children Regular centre for the general public Why? __ 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 at home)? Why? 24. Should social activities be incorporated into vocational training? Yes No If yes, how? EMPLOYMENT 25. 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 relationship successful? Unsuccessful? Why? What were/are the major issues your organisation experienced/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 MOST suitable? Why? 28. Have you supported employment for street children (e.g.: financial support, provided training, 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 street children? 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 EMPLOYMENT 31. 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 development of street children? S/Term Contract L/Term Contract Why? 33. What do you consider an unsafe work environment where street children should not work? 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? 45 Education for Development

36. What do you see as a future strategy for street children with respect to accessing vocational 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? Thank you for your co-operation. 6.2.7 Job Service Centres in HCMC BACKGROUND Collect 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) 4. How long have you been working in this centre?

or Government run

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 MARKET 12. 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 sectors 16. Do any special selection criteria apply for street children? Yes No If yes, which criteria?

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JOB PLACEMENT 17. What is your job placement percentage for personnel without high school education? Percentage by business sector? Percentage by type of job? What are the general conditions of employment? 18. Do you conduct follow up evaluation on the success of employed clients who do not have a high school education? Yes No What percent of these clients complete the full 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 the contract? 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 those employees who do not possess a high school education? Do their employment conditions 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 development of street children? S/Term Contract L/Term Contract Why? 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 these obstacles to employment? 25. How can the employment of street children be facilitated? FOLLOW UP 26. 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? Thank you for your co-operation. 6.2.8 Relevant Authorities and Government Agencies in HCMC

BACKGROUND Collect name card. If not any, ask background questions 1 & 2 1 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? 47 Education for Development

TRAINING 5. Do you know what training programmes are available to street children? List 6. 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 the failure? 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 to training? 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 these current/new policies? 14. What are your organisations future plans in the area of vocational training? Why have these become future plans? VARIABLES OF TRAINING 15. Do you think training costs make it difficult for street children to attend vocational training? Yes No Which costs (both direct and indirect) are the most difficult to meet? How can these obstacles to training be overcome? 16. 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? 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 personal guidance 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 most appropriate for street children? Special centre for street children Regular centre for the general public Why? 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 at home)? Why?

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23. Should social activities be incorporated into vocational training? Yes how?

No

If yes,

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 relationship successful? Unsuccessful? Why? What were/are the major issues your organisation experienced/experiences? 25. What is the current labour market for children without high school education? What training 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, are successfully employed? What percentage of these were street children? (check authoritys definition of Street Children) 28. Which jobs do you think are suitable for street children? Which jobs are the MOST suitable? 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 these current/new policies? 31. Have you supported employment for street children (e.g.: financial support, provided training, 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 street children? Why did your organisation choose to adopt this role? VARIABLES OF EMPLOYMENT 32. 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 development of street children? Short Term Contract Long Term Contract Why? 34. What do you consider an unsafe work environment where street children should not work? 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? Thank you for your co-operation.

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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 hard 1. Too much work (equal ranking) 2. Low salary 2. 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 job 5. Family reasons 5. Employer is too strict (equal ranking) 6. Employer fines the employee 7. Work place is boring Group 1 Boys Reasons for Leaving a Job 1. Employer is difficult or mean 2. Too much work 3. Employer doesnt pay salary on time 4. Employer beats employee 5. Employer scolds employee 6. Low salary Group 2 Girls Reasons for Leaving a Job 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

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Group 2 Boys Reasons for Leaving a Job 1. Move on to better job 2. Not develop skills 3. 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 are the main reasons why street children leave employment (ranked from most common reason to least common reason) International Organisations Reasons for Leaving a Job 1. Income too low 2. Lack of discipline/patience 2. 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 to working life 3. Children dont like the job (equal ranking) 4. Children want freedom 5. Children are too young/immature 6. 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. a cleaning 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 Reasons for Leaving a Job 1. Family reasons/difficulties 2. No stability in childrens lives 2. Too much pressure to earn money immediately (equal ranking) 3. Treated poorly at work 3. Psychological problems of child 3. Income too low (equal ranking) 51 Education for Development

Directors and Personnel Managers of Business Reason for Leaving a Job 1. Dont follow company regulations 1. Dont like the job/working environment (equal ranking) 2. No patience 3. Corruption 4. No ability to do the job 5. Dont 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 stubborn 12. 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 2. No ability to do the job 3. Reduced salary 4. Hours not suitable for child 5. Employer shouts at the employee 6. Child not allowed to sleep after lunch

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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 Characteristics of Employers that Children LIKE 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 Characteristics of Employers that Children LIKE 1. One that does not exploit hired labour 2. Sympathise with new employees limited experience 2. 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

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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/humorous 13. Not aggressive/scold/beat 14. Serious about work 15. Not too difficult Group 2 Boys Characteristics of Employers that Children LIKE 1. Joyful/cheerful 1. Fair minded (equal ranking) 2. One that guides/supports/encourages employees 3. Easy-going employer 4. Employer who loves people 5. One that doesnt fine employees 6. One that does not constrain employees 6. Sympathise with new employees limited experience 6. Employer who is helpful (equal ranking) 7. Employer who is serious about work 8. One that will overlook employees 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 they would not like to work with (ranked from most important to least important characteristics). 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 strict 2. Employer who disregards the poor (equal ranking) 3. Selfish employer 4. Cruel employer

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Group 1 Boys Characteristics of Employers that Children DO NOT LIKE 1. Not easy-going employer 2. Dominant employer 3. Not friendly 4. Hot tempered employer 5. Unhelpful employer 6. Employer who scolds/shouts 6. Employer who is strict (equal ranking) 7. Rude employer Group 2 Girls Characteristics of Employers that Children DO NOT LIKE 1. Lustful (sexual harassment) 2. Unfair to employees 2. Mean/stingy (equal ranking) 3. Rude 4. Looks down on the poor 5. Difficult 6. Tough/aggressive/shouts/scolds/severe/fierce Group 2 Boys Characteristics of Employers that Children DO NOT LIKE 1. One that fines without notice 1. Rude (equal ranking) 2. One that doesnt give feedback when staff do something wrong 3. Not harmonious 4. Unfair to employees 4. Tough/aggressive/shouts/scolds 4. Employer who is easy to be upset (equal ranking) 5. Difficult

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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 Associations Social Work Centre, Save the Children Fund UK, and The Social Development Research and Consultancy 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 Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City: World Vision International, Vietnam. MOLISA (5/1999) Strategy on Preventing and Settling the Street Children Problem 20002005, Ha Noi: Department of Social Protection and Ministry of Labour , Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) Save the Children UK (1995) Farm house work to gold mining, child labour in rural Vietnam, 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.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bequel, A. and Myer, W. E. (1995) The First thing is Child Work, Ha Noi: UNICEF. 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 Associations Social Work Centre, Save the Children Fund UK, and The Social Development Research and Consultancy Group. Bond, T. (2000) A Study on Street Children in Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City: Terre des hommes. Bond, T. and Hayter, D (1998) A review on Child Labour, Street Children, Child Prostitution and Trafficking, Disability, The Family, Ha Noi: UNICEF Do, C., Ho, H., Dang, C. and Le, H. (6/1997) Report on the result of the survey on employed child labour in Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City and Ha Tay, Ha Noi: Institute of Labour Science and Social Affairs. Do, T. (1999) Just by Chance Domestic Workers in Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Noi: Care International and The Publishing House. Duong, D. (1995) Street Children: Status and Social Issues worthy of concern, Ha Noi: MOLISA. Duong, T. (8/1997) Girls Work and Girls Education in Vietnam A Study on a Northern Highland Province, Ha Noi: UNICEF. Ennew, J. (1994) Street and Working Children A Guide to Planning, London: Save the Children United Kingdom. Ennew, J. (1996) Street and Working Children, London: Save the Children United Kingdom. Free, E. (1998) Child Labour in Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Noi: Save the Children United Kingdom. Hegenauer, E. and Hegenauer, M. (1995) Working Children in District 8, Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City: World Vision International, Vietnam. Hopkins, S. (Date Unknown) Situation and needs of Children in Vietnam. MOLISA (1995) Research Report on Street Children 1995, Ha Noi: MOLISA.

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MOLISA (5/1999) Strategy on Preventing and Settling the Street Children Problem 20002005, Ha Noi: Department of Social Protection and Ministry of Labour , Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) MOLISA (2/2000) Project evaluation and proposals revise and strengthen the implementation of legal provision concerning child labour, Ha Noi, Vietnam. MOLISA (6/2001) Report on the status of child labour in Vietnam, Ha Noi: MOLISA. Nguyen, B. and Caseley, J. (1996) Survey on the situation of street children in Ha Noi, Ha Noi: Vietnam Youth Research Institute. Nguyen, N. (1997) Disadvantaged Children, Ho Chi Minh City: HCMC Open University. Nguyen, N., Do, B. and Tong, V. (6/1995) Learning from a family on the edge A study on the situation of the street childrens family in Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City: Child Hope Asia. Save the Children Norway (Radd Barna) (1994) Children Workers in Asia, v.10, n. 2 (April-June). Save the Children Sweden (Date Unknown) Street and Working Childrens integration into their Family. 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 rural Vietnam, 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 Settling Disputes 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) UNICEF (1997) National Report on Child Labour in Vietnam, Seminar on Child Labour (1 & 2 August 1997). UNICEF ( 1997) Relationship between Education and Child Labour, v. 7 (July) UNICEF (2000) A study on Child Labour in Vietnam 1992-1998, Ha Noi: Labour and Social Affairs Publishing House.

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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 Street Classes in Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Van Acoleyen, K. (1999) Outreach to Street and Working Children Practical Experiences in Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Vietnam Central Youth Associations Social Work Centre (1999) Children in the Shadows, Ha Noi: National Political Publishing House. Vu, B. (1995) Child Labour in Vietnam A Country Report: June August 1995, Ha Noi: National Political Publishing House. Vu, B. (1995) Working Children Issues, Ha Noi: National Political Publishing House. Vu, B. (1998) Selected International Documents on Child Protection (Part 1), Ha Noi: National Political Publishing House. Author Unknown (12/1999) Working Children in Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Noi: Vietnam Youth Research Institute.

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