More than 2 million vocational students, vocational education aims for efficient streamlining

2024 and the first half of 2025 recorded many positive signals from the vocational education system (VET) nationwide when enrollment showed good signs and training quality increasingly better met the needs of the labor market.

Admissions have good signals

According to the summary report of the Department of Vocational Education and Continuing Education (Ministry of Education and Training), in 2024, the entire vocational education system will enroll 2.43 million people, of which 430,000 will be at college and intermediate levels, and 2 million will be at primary and other vocational training programs.

In the first 6 months of 2025, the whole country will enroll and train about 1 million people in vocational education, of which about 100,000 will be in college and intermediate level; and about 900,000 will be in elementary level and other training programs. It is estimated that enrollment by September 2025 will reach 60% of the plan.

In the 2024-2025 school year, the quality and effectiveness of vocational education increasingly meet the labor market's needs. Over 80% of graduates have jobs, of which 70% - 75% have jobs in their fields of study; some vocational education institutions are reputable for training quality, closely linked with businesses, the employment rate of graduates is 100% and 85% - 90% of graduates have jobs in their fields of study. In some fields, graduates can take on many complex job positions that previously had to be performed by foreign experts.

According to the assessment of the Department of Vocational Education and Continuing Education, the enrollment work has shown many positive signs, implementing solutions to strengthen the work of streaming, attracting junior high school and high school graduates to study vocational education levels. Vocational education establishments actively promote cooperation activities with businesses.

In 2024, the enrollment work of the vocational education system has good signs.

PHOTO: YEN THI

In 2024, issue decisions to establish/terminate the boards of directors of 20 private colleges; submit to the Minister for decision to recognize/no longer recognize the title of principal for 15 private colleges; change the name of 7 colleges; change the location of 1 college in accordance with regulations and on time according to one-stop procedures.

As of September 2025, the vocational education system includes 1,163 vocational education institutions; of which: 518 public vocational education institutions (including: 281 colleges, 127 intermediate schools and 1,059 vocational education centers) and 645 non-public vocational education institutions, accounting for 55.5%.

By July 2025, the staff will submit to the Ministry's leaders a decision to merge vocational training institutions under the Ministry of Construction; give opinions on the merger of vocational training institutions under 2 ministries (Construction, Industry and Trade) and 13 localities including: Dien Bien, Yen Bai , Thai Nguyen, Thai Binh, Hai Phong, Phu Tho, Bac Ninh, Quang Binh, Hue, Da Nang, Tien Giang, Dong Nai, Vinh Long.

Cooperating with more than 7,200 businesses

According to the Department of Vocational Education and Continuing Education (Ministry of Education and Training), in the 2024-2025 school year, cooperation between vocational training institutions and enterprises continues to be identified as a key task to improve training quality and link training with labor market needs. The connection between vocational training institutions and enterprises has had many positive changes, contributing to improving vocational skills for learners, creating quality human resources to serve socio -economic development.

In the 2024-2025 school year, over 85% of vocational training institutions have signed cooperation agreements with more than 7,200 businesses in many fields. Businesses participate in building programs, output standards, evaluating training results, and receiving more than 310,000 interns. The employment rate immediately after graduation through cooperation channels is over 85%.

However, the level of connection is uneven, incentive policies are limited, especially in agricultural areas, mountainous areas, and economically disadvantaged areas.

In the 2024-2025 school year, over 85% of vocational training institutions have signed cooperation agreements with more than 7,200 businesses in many fields.

PHOTO: YEN THI

In addition, the Department of Vocational Education and Continuing Education also pointed out shortcomings and inadequacies such as: difficulties in teaching culture combined with vocational training in colleges and intermediate schools have not been resolved; the progress of developing some documents and projects is still slow as required; the organization of reviewing and arranging the network of vocational education institutions is still slow; many problems and difficulties in vocational education mechanisms and policies have not been thoroughly resolved; the financial management mechanism is not synchronized, the budget is delivered late; start-up activities have been postponed for 2 consecutive years, which will affect the entrepreneurial spirit of students and the implementation of start-up support activities of vocational education institutions...

Focus on investing in building a high-quality school system

In the 2025-2026 school year, the Department of Vocational Education and Continuing Education has identified the key objective as streamlining and perfecting the management and training organization apparatus in a streamlined, effective and efficient manner, ensuring timely supply of quality human resources for regions and the whole country. At the same time, focusing on investing in building a system of high-quality schools and vocational training institutions that meet national standards, including schools that perform the functions of national centers and regional centers as leading cores, with a training scale of about 20,000 students per year, meeting the human resource needs of key industries and fields, and high technology.

At the same time, synchronously deploy conditions to ensure quality: modernize facilities, develop a team of teachers and managers to meet international standards; innovate training programs in an open and flexible direction, linked to the needs of businesses and the labor market; apply a set of criteria for assessment and recognition of quality to deploy and replicate the model of modern vocational secondary schools, integrate internationally, contributing to enhancing the position and prestige of Vietnam's vocational education.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hon-2-trieu-nguoi-hoc-nghe-gdnn-huong-toi-sap-xep-tinh-gon-hieu-qua-185251024173934344.htm