90% of students want to go to university or college, only to end up unemployed.

-Every year, up to 90% of high school graduates register for college and university entrance exams, leading to increased unemployment among the "skilled workforce".

At a recent vocational training seminar, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Doan Mau Diep stated that out of approximately 1 million high school graduates each year, 90% register to take college or university entrance exams; while the remaining 10% may not necessarily pursue vocational training.

This has led to increased unemployment among the "skilled labor" group, while unemployment among those with vocational training is not high. The market demand for skilled labor is high, but the demand for vocational training among young people is very low.

There were few students, and the quality was low.

Deputy Minister Doan Mau Diep emphasized that the current labor structure in Vietnam is not truly rational. The highest proportion of workers without professional skills are employed in businesses (approximately 59%), while only about 8% have a university degree.

Up to 90% of high school graduates want to attend university or college.

Implementing the vocational training strategy 2011-2020, Vietnam has adopted numerous solutions to promote the expansion of vocational training. Over the five years (2011-2015), the entire vocational training system trained 9.2 million people; however, only 12% received intermediate and advanced vocational training, with the remainder being short-term courses. This presents a real challenge for vocational training in Vietnam, as short-term training is primarily supportive in nature.

“There is an imbalance between labor training and recruitment. High-quality labor, such as technical workers, is very scarce. Meanwhile, job counseling and placement services are not effective, there is a lack of labor market information, and a lack of quality forecasts on human resource needs to serve as a basis for education, training, and vocational training.”

Meanwhile, at business forums, experts still complain that the quality of vocational training, although showing many improvements, has not yet met the needs and is often not aligned with the market; vocational training still lags behind the requirements of employers; there is a lack of connection between training institutions, state management agencies, and the market and businesses, leading to an imbalance. We also do not yet have a national education program compatible with the region, making it difficult for workers to move around,” Mr. Doan Mau Diep shared.

The Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs emphasized: We have approximately 190 vocational colleges, 290 vocational secondary schools, and nearly 1,000 vocational training centers; however, their distribution is not rational, making enrollment very difficult. Vocational training enrollment is currently very challenging, the quality is low, and this affects the students' morale. The lack of enthusiasm among students for vocational training is also one of the reasons why vocational training institutions are not yet fully utilizing their potential.

This reality leads to a vicious cycle of low labor quality and low wages, causing students to pursue university degrees at all costs, even if they don't get accepted through formal programs, they opt for part-time, distance learning, or bridging courses. As a result, many vocational schools face low enrollment and premature closure.

How can we attract students to vocational training?

Experts believe that the pursuit of academic degrees is still a major obstacle in Vietnam. From their time in school, students are instilled with the mindset of "becoming a teacher when they grow up," with few aspiring to become "workers." Therefore, during each university and college entrance exam season, students and parents flock to the cities with packed lunches to take the exams, while the failure rate remains quite high.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan Huong, former Director of the Institute of Labor and Social Sciences, recommends the need for "streamlining" and tightening the quantity and quality of university and college admissions. In addition, forecasting is also crucial to guide students' information.

"There needs to be regulation and streaming within schools. This requires the involvement of state administrators. For example, there should be a minimum score that disqualifies students from university, not like now where 12 points is enough to get in, which means 80% of students are admitted. The state should also provide funding for certain vocational training programs, especially those that are physically demanding like metallurgy and mining..."

"Besides that, what we are doing is allowing for articulation between vocational schools. That is, students can enter vocational schools and then, after a certain period, continue on to university. This will increase societal demand," said Ms. Lan Huong.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan Huong also emphasized that schools should use information about the labor market to guide students' career choices. Accordingly, based on current labor market information, appropriate career guidance can be provided, avoiding the situation where students flock to certain fields considered "hot" at one time but "unpopular" at another. Students often prefer universities and colleges, but the key is to consider the job prospects after graduation.

Given the situation where many vocational schools are almost "dying out" prematurely and the number of workers recruited is low, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan Huong argues that Vietnam is a country in the process of transitioning from agriculture to industry. The human resource model is shifting from a very broad base, which is unskilled labor, to a mid-level training system that must be developed.

However, there is currently a huge demand for higher education, while few people are interested in vocational training. Therefore, it is crucial to create mechanisms to reverse this situation.

According to VOV