Innovation in counseling and career guidance for students

Da Nang Vocational College provides career counseling to students at the 2025 vocational education counseling and enrollment festival. Photo: LAM PHUONG

Learn, experience in practice

In recent years, career counseling and guidance activities for students have been innovated by schools and vocational training institutions in the direction of enhancing experiences and field trips. In mid-April 2025, dozens of 9th grade students from Ly Tu Trong Secondary School (Son Tra District) learned about the actual teaching and learning activities at the College of Food and Foodstuffs. Here, students visited the learning space with full equipment and machinery for their majors; learned firsthand and tried out attractive professions such as food processing, bartending, baking, information technology, etc. to better understand the work in practice.

In addition, students are advised on the parallel cultural study program and vocational training, career orientation, providing an overview of the profession and working environment after graduation. Tran Thi Thao Nhi (grade 9, Ly Tu Trong Secondary School) shared: “Through practical experience, I have a clearer picture of the majors and jobs after graduation. Given the increasingly fierce competition for admission to grade 10 public schools, I will learn more and consider vocational training in parallel with cultural study.”

Previously, the College of Food and Foodstuff welcomed students from Nguyen Chi Thanh Secondary School to visit and experience the reality, opening up opportunities for students to learn more about the professions and job opportunities to choose the right direction. According to the representative of the College of Food and Foodstuff, every year, the school coordinates with secondary and high schools in Son Tra and Ngu Hanh Son districts to provide counseling, career guidance, and vocational education enrollment. On average, each year, the school welcomes 10 groups of students from schools to visit and learn about the reality of the vocational education environment.

Meanwhile, Da Nang College of Tourism has just organized an "Open Day" for 9th grade students of Huynh Ba Chanh Secondary School (Ngu Hanh Son District) to experience the reality and learn about the 9+ training model. With the theme "Choose the right career, live the passion", students were consulted about the cultural study program in parallel with vocational training; visited the facilities, learning environment, training programs, training majors, and job opportunities. In particular, students had a hands-on experience in the practice areas: kitchen, restaurant, reception, and housekeeping to create interest in the profession, helping them orient and choose the right major they love.

Towards rural students

For secondary and high schools far from the city center such as in Hoa Vang district, for the convenience of students, in early April 2025, the Department of Education and Training coordinated with the District People's Committee to organize a vocational education consultation and enrollment day for students in grades 9 and 12 at secondary and high schools and continuing education centers. The day had the participation of 24 vocational education institutions with a total of 410 occupations needing to be recruited.

Here, students are advised by vocational education institutions on training majors, provided with information on enrollment, enrollment needs, tuition exemption policies, and visited booths, experienced baking, beverage preparation, automatic equipment control, electrical equipment installation, etc. Le Anh Quan (grade 12 student, Phan Thanh Tai High School) shared: "The festival is very interesting and useful, helping me access a lot of information about majors, tuition policies, and scholarships to consider and choose for the upcoming exam."

According to the Standing Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Hoa Vang District, Nguyen Thuc Dung, the rate of students in the district who fail the entrance exam to public grade 10 is still high. Many students drop out of school after failing the exam, do not participate in supplementary or vocational training, and do not have jobs, leading to being drawn into social evils, causing many concerns for the locality. Strengthening career education, counseling, and vocational education enrollment for rural students is necessary, creating conditions for students and their families to have full access to information. Thereby increasing the rate of students participating in vocational training, in line with the current orientation of education.

Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training Mai Tan Linh said that the vocational education consultation and recruitment day is an annual activity, aiming to help students access, consult, and orient their careers to shape their interests, passions, and determine their future goals. From there, they will have more knowledge and skills to choose schools and careers that suit their abilities, interests, and social needs, contributing to increasing the employment rate after graduation.

The city currently has 17 colleges, 6 secondary schools, 12 vocational training centers and 26 vocational training facilities with a total enrollment of nearly 50,000 students. On average, each year, the vocational training system trains more than 35,000 students at all levels. In 2025, vocational training facilities need to recruit 25,144 positions, including: 10,323 for colleges, 6,756 for intermediate schools, and 8,065 for primary schools.

LAM PHUONG

Source: https://baodanang.vn/xa-hoi/202504/doi-moi-tu-van-huong-nghiep-cho-hoc-sinh-4005585/