General Education Program 2018: Innovation in career guidance to support candidates

The 2018 general education program has many new points, such as students must choose subject combinations from grade 10, graduation exams have added information technology, etc. Therefore, career guidance and admissions consulting of universities have also changed to promptly support candidates.

Students learn about Mechanical Engineering Technology at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technical Education. Photo: THANH HUNG

Early promotion of career guidance

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Phung, Deputy Director of the Center for Admissions and Business Relations, University of Finance and Marketing, Ho Chi Minh City, with the changes in the new general education program, career counseling in high schools needs to be carried out as soon as possible, starting from when students are about to enter grade 10. This helps students orient their careers early so that they can decide to choose a subject combination that suits their abilities.

MSc. Pham Doan Nguyen, Director of the Center for Skills Development and Career Guidance, University of Economics and Finance, Ho Chi Minh City, said: With the changes in the new general education program, it is necessary to implement specialized career guidance programs for students, apply digital technology in consulting, strengthen online consulting programs of universities, professional units, reputable media units with a team of experts with high understanding and expertise in the profession... to advise and orient careers close to each student. It is important that high schools must help students visit and experience real-life careers, experience vocational training at universities.

Looking at the reality of management work, Ms. Tran Duc Hanh Quynh, Deputy Head of the Department of Education and Training of District 1 (HCMC), said that with the characteristics of a district in the city center, the work of student orientation faces many difficulties because most parents want their children to go to university or college. Many parents think that the age after junior high school, even after graduating from high school, is not yet mature, and do not want their children to go to vocational school.

Others believe that current vocational schools have outdated training curricula that do not meet the needs of society, and that vocational students have difficulty finding jobs after graduation, so they must “at all costs” go to university to have better job opportunities. Therefore, to effectively implement the student streaming policy, career counseling must be coordinated from many sides, including schools, families, society, businesses, governments and organizations.

Educational institutions need to regularly organize psychological counseling, career education and student orientation activities before, during and after the public 10th grade entrance exam, thereby helping students to have early awareness of careers to determine their direction and learning path from the end of junior high school.

Improve the quality of career guidance

12th grade students of Vo Thi Sau High School (HCMC) ask questions during the admissions consultation program. Photo: HOANG HUNG

According to statistics from the Ministry of Education and Training, in terms of population ratio, the number of university students studying STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) in Vietnam is only about 55 students/10,000 people, much lower than that of countries in the region and Europe. The ratio of students studying STEM fields calculated as a percentage of the total number of university students in Vietnam in recent years has fluctuated between 27% and 30%. Particularly for natural sciences and mathematics, the ratio of students studying in Vietnam is only about 1.5%, equal to 1/3 compared to Finland, 1/4 compared to Korea, 1/5 compared to Singapore and Germany. Meanwhile, the scale of training in economic sectors is very large.

Commenting on this situation, Dr. Nguyen Tien Dung, former Head of Training Department, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technical Education, said that the trend of students choosing majors in our country today is very similar to many countries in the world and in the region many years ago. This also reflects the law of supply and demand, if society has a need, students will continue to study.

However, what candidates do not pay attention to is whether the industry they choose is very "hot" at this time, but when they graduate, about 4-5 years later, will the demand for that industry still be high or will it be saturated? This is not the fault of the candidates but the fault of the education sector, because career guidance work is neglected or if it is carried out, it is only done superficially. However, in reality, to do a good job of career guidance is not something that can be done overnight.

According to representatives of many universities, in order for career guidance to be truly high quality and meaningful, there needs to be coordination between general education, university education and vocational education. Career guidance needs to be carried out systematically, with knowledgeable experts and scientific career guidance programs designed to guide and stream students appropriately and effectively.

Mr. NGUYEN BAO QUOC , Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training:

Expanding the scope of career counseling

In the 2024-2025 school year, career counseling for students is of particular importance, as this is the first year that 12th graders take the high school graduation exam under the 2018 General Education Program. Changes in high school graduation exam regulations and university admission methods have a great impact on students' subject selection orientation.

In addition, the 2018 General Education Program has a new point compared to the previous program, which is that career guidance experience activities are implemented from grade 10, then continue to expand knowledge content in grades 11 and 12. Meanwhile, most current career guidance programs are only for grade 12 students.

I think it is necessary to expand the number of people participating in career counseling, helping students choose suitable subjects from grade 10, thereby having a stable learning path for 3 years of high school, minimizing the situation of changing subjects after grade 10 or grade 11.

Dr. HOANG NGOC VINH , former Director of Vocational Education Department

(Ministry of Education and Training):

Providing general knowledge and wanting to guide career choice in choosing a university is too ambitious.

Vocational education in the world has changed a lot in the past two decades, but in Vietnam there has not been much change. Vocational education in high school has taught students vocational skills and been recognized in the labor market.

But in our country, the design program does not meet the professional skill standards of the industry, there is no equipment, and vocational schools are separate from the local high school system.

With the 2018 General Education Program, people say it has career orientation, but in reality it is "class division" and "exam orientation" to consider natural science and social science orientation... Thousands of different majors at the university level, how can the new general education program have career orientation ambitions?

That is just a “direction” to choose subjects for the exam and admission to make it easier to have the opportunity to go to university… Therefore, the dual goal of both providing basic general knowledge and career guidance to choose university in the 2018 General Education Program is too ambitious and unrealistic. The consequence of the form of “career guidance” which is actually “exam guidance” has caused the goal of general education to be distorted due to skewed learning and skewed teaching. Teaching not for the sake of learning but teaching only for “exams” needs to be adjusted immediately in the 2025 exam.

MSc. PHAM THAI SON , Director of Admissions and Communications Center, Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade:

Career guidance should be integrated into the general education program.

Career guidance should not be a separate activity but should be integrated into core subjects, especially subjects such as Civic Education, Life Skills and elective subjects. Thus, students will have access to career information during their studies, helping 10th and 11th graders have a more comprehensive view of careers.

Along with that, career guidance should be promoted early, starting from secondary school with activities to explore students' abilities, interests and capabilities, not just focusing on grade 12. This helps students have time to think and prepare more carefully about their career path.

The new general education program encourages comprehensive development, so career guidance needs to focus on developing vocational skills and "soft" skills.

THANH HUNG - THU TAM

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/chuong-trinh-giao-duc-pho-thong-2018-doi-moi-cong-tac-huong-nghiep-de-ho-tro-thi-sinh-post762733.html