High-scoring candidates drop out of university to go to college

With a graduation exam score of 26.5 and early admission to two universities, Van Hau still decided to study a trade because he wanted to work early.

In the 2023 high school graduation exam, Tran Van Hau, from Nam Dinh, scored 9 points in Literature and Civic Education, 8.5 in History, a total of 26.5 in the C19 group, excluding priority points. This level can help Hau pass many social science majors at mid-ranked universities. Not to mention, he was admitted early to two universities by considering his academic records.

However, Hau skipped the university entrance exam, applied to the Mechanical Equipment Manufacturing major at Hanoi High Technology College, and started studying on August 7.

"I want to shorten my study time and focus more on practice so that I can graduate early and have the skills to find a job with a good income," Hau said, adding that his brother also graduated from college and earns about 15 million VND a month. Therefore, his family supports his choice.

Tran Van Hau in the final yearbook photo of grade 12, Ly Nhan Tong High School, Nam Dinh, May 2023. Photo: Provided by the character

Hau is among the 292,000 candidates who dropped out of the university entrance exam this year. This number accounts for more than 30% of the total number of candidates taking the high school graduation exam. Many reasons have been mentioned by experts and teachers, including candidates actively choosing to study a trade.

Pham Van Tien, from Ninh Binh, has just received notice of admission to Hanoi Polytechnic Vocational College, majoring in Computer Programming.

Achieving 25 points in the A01 combination (Math 8.2, Physics 8.25 and English 8.6) - the level that can be admitted to dozens of universities, but Tien decided to go to college before graduating.

"University study time is twice as long, with a lot of theoretical subjects," Dat compared. Meanwhile, he wants to have skills and start working soon.

Pham Van Tien and his mother. Photo: Provided by the character

Mr. Nguyen Duy Do, Principal of Vietnam College of Industry and Commerce, said that the number of students entering the school with high university entrance exam scores is increasing. From 2020 to now, each year his school has about 20-40 students with 25 points or more enrolling, some with 27 and above. Previously, only candidates who failed the university entrance exam could enter college.

"This is a positive signal, showing that candidates have researched thoroughly and have better career orientation than before," said Mr. Do.

Similarly, at Hanoi High-Tech Vocational College, each year there are about 140-290 candidates with over 20 points in the high school graduation exam enrolling, accounting for 15-30% of the school's target. Principal Pham Xuan Khanh commented that these students often have a clear orientation, want to be equipped with practical skills, work directly to soon enter the labor market.

According to Mr. Do, the college system has some advantages compared to university such as reasonable tuition (about 10 million VND per year), short study time (2-3 years) but lots of practice, at least about 70% of the training program.

Mr. Khanh said that early vocational training brings many job opportunities when students have knowledge, skills and "real-life" experience. Regular exposure and practice help students develop a neat working style and attitude. This is something that every business focuses on when evaluating candidates.

The 2021 Labor Force Survey Report by the General Statistics Office shows that the number of unemployed people with a university degree or higher accounts for 13.4%. This is a "quite high" rate, according to the survey unit's assessment. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate for people with a college degree is only 5.3%.

Regarding salary, according to this report, workers with intermediate and college degrees can earn about 7 million VND per month, and those with university degrees or higher can earn 9.2 million VND. The actual gap between college and university degrees may be smaller, because the group with an average income of 9.2 million includes people with master's and doctoral degrees.

In fact, Mr. Khanh affirmed that the income of college graduates is not lower than that of their university peers. At Hanoi High-Tech Vocational College, 100% of students in many majors have jobs after graduation, receiving salaries of 7-15 million VND per month.

"After completing vocational training, students will often work in private enterprises. The salary scale in this environment will be calculated based on ability, so if you do well, you will have a high income," said Mr. Khanh.

Dr. Le Viet Khuyen, Vice President of the Association of Vietnamese Universities and Colleges, also acknowledged that the fact that many students with good academic performance choose to study in college is positive and suitable for the structure of the Vietnamese labor market.

According to Mr. Khuyen, the labor market is in great need of highly skilled workers with good professional skills. College students are the group that fits this market need, because when studying a profession, they get to practice a lot while university level usually focuses more on theory.

Although he has only been in school for a week, Tran Van Hau is already looking forward to the day he can go to the mechanical engineering department and directly experience the school's machines. Pham Van Tien is also eagerly awaiting the practical lessons in the first semester.

"I aim to have a starting income of about 8 million VND after graduation, increasing to 25 million VND or more after 5 years," Tien said.

Thanh Hang - Duong Tam

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