Providing opportunities for ethnic minority students in the digital age.

(Chinhphu.vn) - In many villages in western Nghe An province, the story of an ethnic minority student finishing high school and then going to the city to study at university is always a source of pride for the whole family. But stepping into the lecture hall has never meant that the door to the future is already open.

What students from mountainous regions need is not just encouragement. They need opportunities. They need an environment to test themselves. And they need the belief that coming from a remote village does not mean being excluded from the future of the digital age. - Photo: VGP

Nghe An province currently has over 42,000 students, of which more than 3,100 are from ethnic minority groups. This young generation carries many aspirations and innovative thinking. However, many still struggle with learning conditions, technological skills, foreign languages, an invisible sense of inferiority in the learning environment, or job opportunities. Especially as digital transformation and AI are changing the labor market daily, this gap becomes even more apparent.

Therefore, developing human resources at this time is not just about training more graduates or engineers. More importantly, it's about helping ethnic minority students enter the new competitive environment with greater confidence and equality.

Mr. Thai Van Thanh, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghe An Province

Discussing this issue, Vice Chairman of the Nghe An Provincial People's Committee Thai Van Thanh said that the province is paying special attention to developing high-quality human resources, with mountainous areas and ethnic minority communities being a major focus.

According to him, Nghe An is currently implementing Resolution No. 17 of the Provincial People's Council on supporting the development of high-quality human resources for ethnic minority and mountainous areas. Simultaneously, it is implementing Project No. 14-DA/TU of the Provincial Party Committee on training and developing human resources in line with the actual needs of businesses.

Notably, the approach is no longer based on a "learn whatever you have" model; the province is moving towards a model of direct connection between schools and businesses so that students know what the market needs, and businesses can proactively seek suitable human resources.

For ethnic minority students, this is especially important. Many of them already have lower access to career information. Some attend university but remain uncertain about what they will do after graduation. Furthermore, many students choose their major simply because it's "familiar" or because of their family's wishes.

Meanwhile, society is changing incredibly fast. AI, digital data, e-commerce, processing technology, smart agriculture … are opening up a host of new fields that previous generations could barely have imagined.

According to Mr. Thai Van Thanh, besides being a challenge, this is also a "golden opportunity" for current students to break through, especially young people who know how to utilize technology to overcome geographical limitations.

Nghe An province plans to develop a comprehensive human resource development plan to help students and graduates better orient their careers. This will include not only unskilled and skilled labor, but also high-quality human resources, taking into account the long-term development needs of the locality.

Specifically for ethnic minority and mountainous regions, Nghe An province has decided to implement a "training commissioning" mechanism. Simply put, the province will select capable students from ethnic boarding and semi-boarding schools for specialized training tailored to local development needs, prioritizing emerging technical and technological fields.

For many years, the major problem in mountainous regions has not been a lack of talented students, but rather a lack of mechanisms for their further development after graduation. Some students excel academically but lack the resources to pursue specialized fields. Others struggle to find suitable jobs after graduation, preventing them from returning to their hometowns to contribute. If a "training-based education" mechanism were implemented effectively, the situation could be different.

Let's start with "the breath of life".

The province also pays special attention to issues related to entrepreneurship and innovation for ethnic minority students.

Mr. Nguyen Khac Lam, Deputy Director of the Department of Science and Technology of Nghe An province

According to Nguyen Khac Lam, Deputy Director of the Department of Science and Technology of Nghe An province, supporting student entrepreneurship, especially for ethnic minority students, is becoming an important task in the context of implementing Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW of the Politburo on the development of science and technology, innovation, and national digital transformation.

According to him, Nghe An is currently one of the localities with a fairly vibrant startup movement. Through 9 Techfest events of the province (Innovation and Startup Festival), nearly 1,000 ideas and projects have been introduced, with the participation mainly from young people and students.

Notably, many ethnic minority students have won top prizes in national and Southeast Asian regional competitions. Some projects have developed into actual startup businesses.

This shows that the gap between a student from a remote area and the innovation ecosystem is no longer as wide as it used to be. The remaining challenge is to create more opportunities for access.

The head of the Department of Science and Technology stated: "Ethnic minority students don't necessarily have to start with overly 'high-level' topics. On the contrary, issues very close to the lives of their villages can become a great opportunity for research and entrepreneurship."

This could involve researching solutions to the "bumper harvest, low prices" problem of local agricultural products; post-harvest preservation technologies; deep processing of indigenous products; or, more broadly, developing traditional crafts, community tourism, and exploiting traditional cultural values… Let's start with the "breath of life," Mr. Lam shared.

Their deep connection with nature, culture, and local life gives them a unique advantage that many urban students lack. This includes the ability to understand the land and forests, the seasons, production practices, and the practical needs of their community. And in the age of technology, this knowledge can become the foundation for innovative and distinctive ideas.

Of course, to go the distance, many obstacles still need to be overcome. Currently, there is still a lack of specific support mechanisms for scientific research and innovation for ethnic minority students. The gap in access to technology, foreign languages, or research environments between mountainous and urban areas is also not easy to bridge overnight.

However, Mr. Lam believes that the encouraging aspect is that the mindset regarding support is gradually changing. It's not about lowering output standards, but about supporting students to have a fairer starting point. Instead of prioritizing based on personal feelings, the focus is on creating conditions for ethnic minority students to compete based on their actual abilities.

Perhaps that's the most sustainable way to provide support. Because ultimately, what students from remote areas need is more than just encouragement. They need opportunities. They need an environment to test themselves. And they need the belief that coming from a remote village doesn't mean they're excluded from the future of the digital age.

Son Hao

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/trao-co-hoi-cho-sinh-vien-dan-toc-thieu-so-trong-ky-nguyen-so-102260527095805593.htm