Lancang-Mekong Cooperation project uplifts skills for Myanmar's production workers

YANGON, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Skills development program under the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund (LMCSF) 2021 helped production workers greatly improve skills and capabilities in Myanmar, local media reported on Wednesday.

With the skills-oriented uplifting nature, the LMC-initiated projects are welcomed in Myanmar since they promote competitive advantages of the country in the related sectors in the region, said participants in a skills development seminar for the manufacturing sector under the LMCSF 2021, which was held in Yangon.

"Having skillful laborers is a key for the employment competitiveness in the region. Without skills and without high productivity, the manufacturing expenditures will be costly. Then, we won't have a competitive advantage," Myint Soe, chairman of the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association (MGMA) told the state-owned newspaper Global New Light of Myanmar.

A total of 1,000 laborers have upgraded their skills and half of them successfully secured jobs through the LMCSF 2021, the newspaper reported.

During the seminar, Myint Soe urged stakeholders to continue supporting Myanmar via the LMC projects, sending Chinese technicians to train the locals in related sectors.

Since the beginning of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, over 100 projects have been implemented in Myanmar including various manufacturing industries, such as garment, footwear and leather bag production, textile manufacturing, food processing, milk and dairy products, and ceramic earthenware production.

China-initiated LMCSF was officially launched in September 2016 to support small and medium-sized cooperation projects and to deliver tangible benefits for the people of the six LMC countries, namely China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand.