All believe that innovative thinking and creative startups are no longer options but urgent requirements.
On April 19, the 7th "National Student Startup Festival" chaired by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee in coordination with the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Finance and the Vietnam Federation of Commerce and Industry officially took place at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technical Education, with many forums, seminars and talks attracting a large number of students, businesses, universities, colleges and high schools.
Support and promote startups
Seven years ago, the Prime Minister approved the project "Supporting students to start a business until 2025" (Project 1665). After many years of implementation with many practical and effective solutions, Project 1665 has created strong changes in the awareness and actions of the entire education sector.
The Ministry of Education and Training said that from 2020 to 2024, the number of student start-up projects is 33,808 projects, an average of 5,635 projects per year. The number of start-up projects of secondary and high school students is 8,700 projects, an average of 1,465 projects per year. The number of start-up enterprises, initiated by university education institutions from 2020 to present, is approximately 300. The number of start-up enterprises that have raised capital from investors is 12, the largest capital is 1 billion VND/project.
Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Thi Kim Chi and delegates attending the startup forum at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technical Education. Photo: HUE XUAN
At the workshop "Supporting innovative startups at vocational education institutions in the digital economy era", Dr. Le Thi Hang, Deputy Director of the Department of Vocational Education and Continuing Education (Ministry of Education and Training), emphasized that vocational education plays an important role in fostering the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurial thinking in learners.
Dr. Le Thi Hang shared: "We must frankly admit that startup support activities at vocational education institutions still face many difficulties and challenges. The capacity of the teaching staff, facilities, financial resources and connections with the external ecosystem are still limited, and have not achieved the expected results."
In addition to sharing effective startup models, Ms. Hang suggested that vocational education experts discuss more about the challenges in supporting startups at facilities, and at the same time propose breakthrough solutions.
MSc. Ho Thu Hang, Vice Principal of Kien Giang Vocational College, said that there are a number of difficulties and challenges that students and start-ups are facing such as: lack of knowledge and skills to start a business; training programs have not kept up with trends - still theoretical, lacking practicality; lack of capital and support mechanisms for start-ups; lack of an effective connected start-up ecosystem; challenges from the negative side of technology; language barriers and international integration...
In a series of seminars and forums, Mr. Nguyen Anh Thi, senior advisor to the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Ho Chi Minh City, said that universities provide talent for the startup ecosystem, are places that provide technology, and universities provide facilities and laboratories for startups. The goal of universities is to discover and nurture talent. Startups are not for all students, statistics show that only about 2% - 3% of students have an inclination towards startups. According to Mr. Thi, the limitation in startups at universities today is that universities have not yet formed a startup ecosystem. Through research in other countries, to be effective, a comprehensive startup system led by students and schools is needed.
Need breakthrough solutions
Proposing breakthrough mechanisms and policies, Mr. Thi suggested that it is necessary to stipulate a set of criteria for evaluating startup activities of universities; stipulate a minimum structure for startup activities; stipulate a flexible, practical and effective public-private partnership mechanism to promote social resources for startup support activities; and form a national fund to support student startups.
Ms. Le Thi Thu Ha, Director of the Center for Innovation and Incubation - Foreign Trade University, said that graduates often work for 6-7 years before starting a business, so the role of the school is to nurture the spirit and people, build an ecosystem, connect with businesses... "The university environment is a space to share knowledge, experience, cooperate, and promote startups. The representative of Foreign Trade University proposed a capacity framework for innovation for learners, building a mechanism for sharing between schools and businesses" - Ms. Ha commented.
Students from Ho Chi Minh City University of Technical Education display a product demonstrating their startup ideas. Photo: HUE XUAN
To realize the vision and develop the school startup ecosystem, especially in vocational education, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Phuong, Vice Principal of FPT Polytechnic College, proposed establishing a model of close linkage between four parties, including: the State, schools, businesses and students. In which, the role of the State is to ensure orientation through policies, financial support and creating a favorable legal environment...
At the general education level, Mr. Do Duc Que, Deputy Director of the General Education Department - Ministry of Education and Training, said that in order to improve the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education in general schools, meeting the requirements of fundamental and comprehensive educational innovation, it is necessary to implement a number of key solutions in the period of 2025-2030, such as building an official entrepreneurship education program in general schools (developing guidance documents integrating entrepreneurship content into appropriate subjects such as technology, information technology, experiential activities - career guidance); piloting the implementation of entrepreneurship education programs in a number of general schools; building a network of young startups, ready to accompany general schools, supporting students in the process of realizing their ideas. At the same time, developing internship programs, practical experiences at enterprises so that students can access and solve practical problems of society.
Step by step to realize ambition
Speaking at the forums, Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Chi affirmed that students possess valuable advantages: youth, intelligence, health and time. Ms. Chi encouraged them to preserve their intellectual beauty, starting with small but practical actions, gradually realizing their ambitions. The Deputy Minister also emphasized that Resolution 57-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in science and technology development, innovation and national digital transformation will open up great opportunities for the young generation. At the same time, it is necessary to build the university environment into an environment of academics, research and creativity. She noted that students should build a solid system of entrepreneurial values and be ready to face risks.
The desire must be big enough
At the forum "Startup inspiration from entrepreneurs", students and guests heard about the journey of businesses, the perseverance in goals and the ups and downs on the path to starting a business.
Inspiring students to start a business, Mr. Ho Minh Hoang, Chairman of Deo Ca Group, shared stories drawn from his own real-life experiences, which he said were most important to learn so that each step of starting a business becomes more solid. He believes that you must learn to walk before you run; if you want to go far, go together; attitude determines success more than qualifications; knowing how to set goals, make plans, estimate costs and manage risks; and persuasion skills. He also advised young people not to drop out of school to pursue their passions and not to think unrealistically.
Mr. Tran Huu Duc, Training Director of Trung Nguyen Legend Fund, noted that to start a business, one needs to have great aspirations, core competencies, know one's limitations to connect resources, have an implementation plan and dare to fail. According to him, capital for starting a business is important, but more importantly, is one's aspirations big enough? Dare to fail, be reckless, but there are 3 things one must not make mistakes: not trading health, not disregarding the law, and preserving one's dignity and honor - these are one's long-term assets.
Businessman Le Yen Thanh, founder of the BusMap application, believes that young people only have professional knowledge but not skills or experience, so they need to work to accumulate knowledge, skills, and finances before wanting to start a business.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/khoi-day-tinh-than-khoi-nghiep-trong-hoc-sinh-sinh-vien-19625041920112322.htm
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