Why is vocational training after secondary school not effective?

Yesterday morning (June 22), the Department of Education and Training and the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs of Ho Chi Minh City held a conference to sign a cooperation program between the two departments on orientation of streaming and vocational education for secondary and high school students in the period of 2023 - 2025. At this event, many opinions raised difficulties and problems in enrollment, especially for secondary school graduates.

Vocational training has many advantages, but not many parents and students fully understand the information and are ready to register.

ONLY 5% OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS ENTER VOCATIONAL SCHOOL

Present at the conference, Mr. Nguyen Van Hieu, Director of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City, said that currently, the number of students in Ho Chi Minh City enrolling in colleges and intermediate schools is still very low, especially among secondary school graduates, only about 5%. One of the reasons is that students do not yet clearly understand and see the benefits and suitability of vocational training.

"In many countries, such as Australia, no one goes to work without training, from sales staff to janitors... Trained workers will help stabilize society, ensure safety, and improve labor quality. To do this, student streaming after junior high school and high school is extremely important."

Contents of the two departments' coordination

The content of the agreement signed by the two departments includes: organizing activities to effectively implement career guidance, channeling high school graduates into vocational education; periodically exchanging information every 3 months according to the information collection form of both parties.

Strengthening the supervision and inspection of the organization of high school cultural knowledge training at vocational training institutions in the city.

Accordingly, the Department of Education and Training will be responsible for directing the Departments of Education and Training of Thu Duc City and districts to guide secondary schools to effectively implement experiential and career guidance activities according to the regulations of the 2018 General Education Program and coordinate with colleges and intermediate schools in career guidance and student streaming. At the same time, it will preside over and coordinate with the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs in investing in developing facilities and technical equipment for teaching in colleges and intermediate schools assigned to the Department of Education and Training.

The Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs is responsible for directing colleges and intermediate schools to coordinate with junior high schools and high schools in career guidance and student streaming; coordinate in providing information as required to effectively implement the overall project on training international-level human resources including 8 majors (information technology - communications, mechanics - automation, artificial intelligence, business administration, finance - banking, health, tourism and urban management) for the period 2020 - 2035.

Mr. Tran Thanh Duc, Principal of Khoi Viet Secondary School, said that the current work of student streaming after junior high school is not effective for many reasons.

"It is very difficult for vocational schools, especially non-public schools, to approach secondary schools for career counseling. After receiving counseling, students are still very hesitant and uncertain. Not to mention that the transfer from intermediate to university for this group is still facing difficulties, making vocational counseling for them difficult. Currently, Circular 15 of the Ministry of Education and Training stipulates that students who study 4 cultural subjects can only transfer to college, but if they want to transfer to university, they must study a 7-subject continuing education program to take the graduation exam," Mr. Duc shared.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hieu (left), Director of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City, and Mr. Le Van Thinh, Director of the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs of Ho Chi Minh City, signed the cooperation program yesterday morning.

NEED AUTHENTIC INFORMATION

Master Vu Van Dong, Head of Training Department of Ho Chi Minh City College of Information Technology, believes that in order to effectively stream students, the Department of Education and Training's online high school admission software and the Ministry of Education and Training's admission software system for universities should have more options for studying at colleges and intermediate schools. "Currently, schools just give out quotas and propaganda but they are not in any official system, leading to students and parents having no information to choose from," said Mr. Dong.

Many state supports for people choosing vocational training

According to Master Tran Phuong, Principal of Viet Giao Secondary School, if secondary school graduates choose to study a trade immediately, the state will support tuition fees from 20 to 50 million VND/course depending on the major, according to the provisions of Decree 81 of the Government.

"Schools will be responsible for providing documents for students to return to the district's Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Departments to receive the tuition fees they paid when enrolling. Not to mention, at Viet Giao Secondary School, students also enjoy many preferential policies if they enroll early. On average, students only have to pay 500,000 VND in tuition fees per month, but when they graduate, their starting income can be up to tens of millions/month depending on the profession," said Master Phuong.

Regarding the curriculum, Master Nguyen Thanh Nhon, Director of the Admissions and Communications Center of Saigon Polytechnic College, said that when studying at intermediate level, students will study 4 cultural subjects and specialized knowledge in parallel with a program and time designed appropriately. After being granted a certificate of completion of the high school cultural knowledge volume prescribed by the Ministry of Education and Training and having a secondary school diploma, students only need 1 - 1.5 more years to transfer to college. "At Saigon Polytechnic College, to get a college degree, students study in two stages, stage 1 is intermediate level with tuition support and stage 2 is transfer to college right at the school," Mr. Nhon shared.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Phung, head teacher of the high school department at Ho Chi Minh City International College, emphasized that vocational training right after middle school will help students shorten their study time and reduce costs due to tuition support. By the age of 18-19, they can enter the labor market and have a high income.

Meanwhile, Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Quyen, Principal of Nova College, said that there should be more large-scale and formal recruitment fairs organized by the two departments to promote vocational training more widely. "From there, parents will feel more secure in guiding their children's careers than accessing information from small meetings of schools," Ms. Quyen commented.

Also wishing for "officiality" in propaganda work, Master Nguyen Khac Thuong, Principal of Tay Sai Gon College, proposed that after the signing conference, the Department of Education and Training and the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs should have an official notice to the education departments and high schools and junior high schools about the transfer of intermediate and college education to colleges and universities and to specifically implement the streaming work.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/vi-sao-phan-luong-hoc-nghe-sau-thcs-chua-hieu-qua-185230623001706633.htm