Promoting career guidance to avoid wasting human resources.

Career guidance and student streaming are indispensable activities in secondary schools. Through career guidance, students enhance their understanding to choose suitable fields and professions, avoiding dropping out midway through their studies.

High school students participate in the Career Guidance Day.

There are still shortcomings in implementation and coordination.

According to the Director of the Department of Secondary Education, Nguyen Xuan Thanh: On May 14, 2018, the Prime Minister approved the Project "Career Education and Student Stream Orientation in General Education in the period 2018-2025" (Project 522). The project emphasizes the innovation of the content and methods of career education, linking it with practical production and social needs, while promoting measures to stream students after lower secondary (junior high school) and upper secondary (high school) into vocational education.

Implementing Project 522, the career guidance education program in junior and senior high schools has achieved many results, marking an important step forward in the reform of general education towards a career orientation. Specifically, at the junior high school level, the percentage of schools organizing career guidance education programs linked to the practical production, business, and service activities of the locality reached 68.52%, exceeding the target of 55%. At the senior high school level, 75.93% of schools implemented the program, exceeding the initial target of 60%. The percentage of schools with teachers who also serve as career guidance counselors reached 74.07% at the junior high school level and 77.78% at the senior high school level, exceeding the target.

Widespread career guidance and awareness campaigns have been organized to enhance the understanding of students, parents, and society regarding the importance of career education and student streaming. A notable development recently has been the integration of STEM education into various subjects, helping students to early recognize and orient themselves towards career paths through practical activities in science , engineering, technology, and mathematics. This has improved students' applicability and adaptability to future job fields.

Despite achieving many noteworthy results, according to Director Nguyen Xuan Thanh, the project still faces many shortcomings and problems related to a lack of uniformity between regions, limitations in supporting documents and tools, infrastructure, human resources, funding, coordination between schools and families, and the level of attention and awareness of society as a whole.

According to data released by the Ministry of Education and Training regarding the 2024 university admissions, 551,479 candidates confirmed their enrollment in the first round of 2024 out of a total of 673,586 admitted candidates. Therefore, approximately 122,000 candidates were admitted but did not enroll in the first round.

In fact, recent university and college admission seasons have seen many cases of students with high high school graduation exam scores choosing to attend vocational colleges or schools, or being accepted into universities but not confirming their enrollment. In some exceptional cases, university students have stopped their studies to pursue vocational training or study abroad... because they realized their chosen field was unsuitable.

Deputy Minister of Education and Training Pham Ngoc Thuong stated: In the context of a rapidly increasing aging population, career guidance and student streaming must be thoroughly researched, implemented systematically and comprehensively, in accordance with the context, and applicable to practice.

Deputy Minister Pham Ngoc Thuong emphasized the important role of career guidance and student streaming, and noted that, in reality, this work needs to be done better to avoid wasting the country's human resources.

Changing perceptions about vocational training

Having accompanied students through many exam seasons, Ms. Dinh Thi Thuy Dung - a teacher at Bat Bat High School (Hanoi) - shared that career counseling is the "key" to helping students open many doors after graduation. For students in their final year of junior high school and high school, career guidance is even more important. At this time, students desperately need advice and direction to choose the right profession that suits their abilities, interests, and societal needs. Students also need to understand that attending university is not the only path to success. If their academic abilities are insufficient, they can choose other paths such as vocational training, studying abroad, or working overseas. Career counseling should not wait until the end of the school year to be implemented, but should be carried out continuously throughout.

According to Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen from Thai Nguyen University of Education, in recent years, career guidance and student streaming have been implemented flexibly and proactively integrated into general education institutions. This includes career guidance through teaching cultural subjects, experiential activities, project-based learning, entrepreneurship competitions, science and technology events, STEM festivals, etc.

Career-oriented education methods are implemented by creating a friendly learning environment and problem-solving situations to encourage students to actively participate in learning activities and discover their own abilities and aspirations. The approach is differentiated education, ensuring students have access to career options and are prepared for the training of high-quality human resources.

To improve career guidance education, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen proposed the need to improve the legal framework for educational streaming, develop policies to support students, improve post-high school training programs, promote community and business participation, and monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of high school student streaming. Along with this, mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating program effectiveness should be implemented.

Professor Nguyen Van Minh, former Rector of Hanoi Pedagogical University, believes that societal perceptions of vocational training need to change. The word "vocation" is synonymous with "career," so policies regarding job placement for vocational training programs, both within schools and after career guidance, must be prioritized. Vocational training must meet societal needs and ensure fairness. Only then can we change perceptions and convince society.

With the perspective that career guidance and streaming should begin with students' needs, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Anh, former Principal of Nguyen Tat Thanh Secondary and High School, shared that for students to have the need and interest in career guidance, 100% of teachers in schools must have a full understanding of this work. This is also consistent with the orientation and goals of the 2018 General Education Program...

Source: https://daidoanket.vn/thuc-day-huong-nghiep-de-khong-lang-phi-nguon-nhan-luc-10296082.html