Concerns about students dropping out of college because of the desire for a salary of 5-10 million VND

The principal of the University of Technology is worried that many students are falling into the "middle-income trap", dropping out of university because of an immediate salary of 5-10 million, causing consequences later on.

Professor Chu Duc Trinh said this in front of thousands of students and nearly 60 businesses participating in the "UET Job Fair 2024" of the University of Technology, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, on the morning of March 30.

Mr. Trinh believes that students should only go to businesses for internships, to learn about the company's discipline, culture, and work orientation. Businesses should not recruit or assign main jobs to students who have not yet graduated.

Currently, many businesses still do this. "It is a quick and unsustainable way of doing business," said Mr. Trinh. "This is a very strong message that the University of Technology has sent to businesses in recent years."

He cited that at the University of Technology, the annual on-time graduation rate is about 60%. Adding the number of late graduates, the rate of students with degrees in each course is about 90%, meaning that 10% still do not get their degrees.

The main reason for graduating late and not getting a degree is that students start working early and are so engrossed in their work that they neglect their main task of studying. Among those who do not get a degree, a very small number are good students who start their own businesses early, while the majority fall into the "middle-income trap".

"The middle-income trap means that students start working early and earn income early, but for many years they still cannot achieve a higher salary or position, and can only be ordinary workers," said Mr. Trinh. This level, according to him, is about 5-10 million VND per month.

Professor Trinh explained that students who go to work early will miss out on the basic knowledge and skills they learned in school. After graduation, they will have difficulty doing innovative work and will be left out of the high-quality labor force that the market needs.

Professor Chu Duc Trinh at the job fair of the University of Technology, March 30. Photo: VNU-UET

Mr. Pham Tuan Anh, representative of Joboko Recruitment Platform and Ms. Dau Thanh Hoa, Head of Human Resources Department of LG Electronics R&D Vietnam Company, also agreed.

Mr. Tuan Anh acknowledged that the situation of students dropping out of school, going to work early and then not getting a degree is more common in technology majors, at top schools and among students with good abilities.

The reason is that technology companies often do not care about degrees but evaluate actual working capacity at a time. If suitable, they will hire.

"However, after 5 years, the working capacity of that student may not be able to meet the needs of students who have completed a full university program, and businesses need resources with good capabilities to go far," said Mr. Tuan Anh.

Similarly, Ms. Hoa said she had witnessed students working early without a degree or dropping out of school, which then affected their later careers.

"Therefore, we advise students to focus on their studies and participate in projects while still in school," said Ms. Hoa. Ms. Hoa's company also does not recruit students who are still in school.

Students attend the job fair of the University of Technology, March 30. Photo: Duong Tam

Mr. Tuan Anh highly appreciates students who can balance their time between studying and working. He still believes that students should approach the business environment early to understand the working process and the needs of the labor market. From there, they can adjust their learning methods and get acquainted with new technologies that are not yet available in school.

However, this should only stop at the level of familiarization. "Learning must still be the top priority to grasp core knowledge and skills," he said.

Statistics in 2022 show that the rate of late graduates at many technology schools is about 30-50%, higher than other schools. At the University of Natural Sciences, Hanoi National University, nearly 50% of students graduated late. At Hanoi University of Science and Technology and the University of Technology, the rates are both about 30%.

Duong Tam

Source link: https://vnexpress.net/lo-ngai-sinh-vien-bo-ngang-dai-hoc-vi-ham-luong-5-10-trieu-dong-4728473.html