Only 10% of tourism industry workforce has university degree

The information is shared in the online TV consulting program "Choosing a major for the future: Tourism - Service industry". The program is online at: thanhnien.vn , Facebook Fanpage, YouTube channel, TikTok Thanh Nien Newspaper.

POSITIVE SIGNALS ON THE DEMAND FOR HUMAN RESOURCES IN TOURISM AND SERVICES

Forecasting the training situation of the tourism and service sector, Master Truong Thi Ngoc Bich, Director of the Information and Communication Center of the University of Economics and Finance, Ho Chi Minh City, provided quite a lot of positive information. In 2023, Vietnam welcomed 12 - 13 million international visitors, this result exceeded the target set by the Vietnamese tourism industry about 4 times last year. This year, the target is to reach 17 - 18 million international visitors and currently some visa exemption policies for international visitors are being expanded.

These are positive signals for our country's tourism industry in the current period. In addition, the supply of labor for the tourism industry requires an increase and creates more opportunities for students in this field in the future. "Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics and Finance is training 3 majors in this field according to a bilingual program and updated with international factors. Students studying this major are equipped with good English," added Master Bich.

Much new information related to training and human resource needs in the tourism and service industry was shared by experts in the consultation program yesterday afternoon, March 12.

Based on the figures achieved by the Vietnamese tourism industry in the past year, Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Quyet Thang, Vice President of the Vietnam Tourism Training Association, Head of the Department of Tourism - Restaurant - Hotel Management, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, boldly affirmed that the tourism industry has accelerated its recovery and surpassed the period before the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, the demand for human resources to serve the tourism industry is currently very urgent. This, according to Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Quyet Thang, is also reflected in the employment results of students after graduation. Associate Professor Thang said that the results of the employment survey of many schools, including Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, showed that in the past 1-2 years, the average employment rate of tourism students was at 88-90%.

"The tourism industry has huge opportunities, many tourism businesses are in need of trained human resources. I believe that in the medium and long term, the tourism industry is still in great need," Associate Professor Thang added.

Providing more information on this issue, Ms. Ngo Thi Quynh Xuan, Principal of Saigon College of Tourism, also said that last year, Ho Chi Minh City was the leading locality in the country in terms of international visitors and tourism revenue. After the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a large shift in labor from the tourism industry to other fields. In the context of the current recovery of the tourism industry, the demand for human resources is at a high level. In particular, the shortage of human resources for restaurants and hotels is the greatest because it only meets 70% of the current demand.

3 GROUPS OF FACTORS THAT TOURISM STUDENTS NEED

According to Master Quynh Xuan, statistics on trained labor in the tourism sector show that university-level labor only accounts for 10%. Meanwhile, college, intermediate, and elementary-level labor accounts for over 50% and the rest are workers who only take short-term courses. Thus, it can be seen that college-level workers participating in the tourism labor market are very large.

Dr. Ha Thi Thuy Duong, Head of the Tourism Department of Ho Chi Minh City Open University, noted three groups of essential factors that students majoring in tourism need to have. One is in-depth knowledge of tourism, culture, and society. In addition, there must be a positive attitude, a spirit of progress, overcoming difficulties, and passion for the profession, as well as an extroverted, dynamic, and open-minded nature. In addition, students need foreign language skills. "If you know 2-3 languages ​​or more, you will definitely be given priority for recruitment in the smokeless industry, which is challenging but also interesting," said Ms. Duong.

After years of turmoil due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the tourism and service industry revives

N MANY SCHOOLS ARE ABOUT TO END EARLY ADMISSION APPLICATIONS FOR ROUND 1

Dr. Bui Kim Luan, Vice Principal of the Tourism Training School - Duy Tan University, said that this year the school uses the following admission methods: direct admission, high school graduation exam scores, academic records and scores from the competency assessment exam of two national universities. As for the high school graduation exam method, the school bases its admission on the scores of 3 subjects according to the admission combination.

Regarding early admission, Master Truong Thi Ngoc Bich said that the school has two early admission methods based on academic records and the results of the Ho Chi Minh City National University's competency assessment exam. Of which, the school has been accepting applications since January 15 and will end the first phase on March 31. According to Master Bich, early admission helps reduce exam pressure and competition among candidates in some professions, which is a trend at many schools.

Master Cao Quang Tu, Admissions Director of Saigon International University, also shared that early admission gives candidates a high level of initiative. Because of this initiative, each school will be flexible in its admission regulations, admission time, and scores for each admission round at the same school may also be different. Therefore, candidates need to follow the official information of each specific school. However, Master Tu noted that an important requirement between the early admission schedule and the admission schedule of the Ministry of Education and Training will be unified in the final stage. After completing the high school graduation exam, candidates begin to register their wishes on the general admission system of the Ministry of Education and Training. Saigon International University plans to announce candidates eligible for the first admission round on March 31.

Regarding students' concerns about participating in early admission when they have not yet received their 12th grade semester 2 results, Master Truong Quang Tri, Deputy Head of Student Affairs Department of Nguyen Tat Thanh University, said that universities have many different early admission methods: based on academic records, based on competency assessment test scores, foreign language certificates, etc. Even with admission based on academic records, schools also have many ways of calculating scores, including some schools that only consider scores from semesters of grades 10, 11 and semester 1 of grade 12. Candidates need to choose an admission method that suits them. Nguyen Tat Thanh University is currently accepting applications for early admission, the first round will end on March 31.

If a tour guide does not graduate from college and obtain a bachelor's degree in tourism to submit to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism or the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of other localities to be granted a tour guide card, he will never become an official tour guide. For international tour guides, an additional requirement is a foreign language certificate to become an official employee in the tourism industry.

Master Ngo Thi Quynh Xuan (Principal of Saigon College of Tourism)

When applying to schools, candidates need to carefully review each school's selection method to find the most suitable method that gives them the most advantage. For example, at Ho Chi Minh City Open University, the school's own selection method will give priority in order to candidates with international baccalaureate exams, international certificates, and SAT exam results.

Dr. Ha Thi Thuy Duong (Head of Tourism Department, Ho Chi Minh City Open University)

The school is training 3 majors related to the tourism - service sector including: hotel management, tourism and travel service management, restaurant and food service management. According to the school's survey, these 3 majors all have good job opportunities, the problem is that candidates choose the major that promotes their strengths and develops themselves.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Quyet Thang (Head of Department of Tourism - Restaurant - Hotel Management, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology)

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