Sharing the same thought as Tran Ngoc Nam, student Luong Dinh Linh, who is living in Hong Linh commune (Ha Tinh province) has decided to study Mechatronics,  Department of Mechanics, Hanoi Vocational College of High Technology, regardless of the score of 18 that is sufficient for entrance into Hanoi Industrial University. Linh said that his parents expressed their objection against his decision because his family condition is not that bad for him to consider that choice. He persuaded them by pointing out the advantages of vocational training in comparison to university education, that is vocational training requires less time, costs less money, employment opportunities after graduation is better. In contrary with Nam, Linh, though being a second year student in Education Management discipline at Quy Nhon University, Nguyen Hoai Giang (aged 19), whose hometown is Phu Loc commune, Can Loc district (Ha Tinh) has chosen to give up his current study to pursue mechanical engineering at Viet-Duc Vocation College. Giang said it would be embarrassment for his parents if he becomes unemployed after graduation.
During meeting and conversation with these fresh graduates, it can be seen that they are well aware of and believe in their option, because there is no shortage of job opportunities for students in the fields such as welding, mechanical engineering and mechatronics after graduation, especially due to presence of Vung Ang economic zone in which Formosa project is expected create plenty job opportunities for development.
Though recruitment season is yet to begin for vocational training schools, but Hanoi Vocational College of High Technology has received 100 applications from students whose minimum score for national high school examination was 15. During school year of 2014-2015, this school enrolled over 100 students who qualified for college and university study. Hanoi Vocational College for Electromechanics has over 30 students who earned minimum score of 15 enrolled , three of them are university students, one is studying for master degree in accounting. Especially for Viet – duc (Ha Tinh), there are dozen of students with very high score (from 20 to 23) applied for study.
These signals show the changes of perception among students as well as student’s parents. The period, when setting a footstep into university is a honor for family, is already over, the figures on unemployment rate among youth in mass media, as well as other examples seen in daily life such as workers have to conceal their university degree when applying for job, or university degree getting moldy in a storage chest…are reasons why students’ parents as well as students themselves have to find a solution for the test on “employment and degree”.  This again shows that vocational training is a realistic and smart choice given the high unemployment rate among people with bachelor and master degree.
Statistics from General Directorate of Vocational Training shows that, several professions in which students got a job immediately after graduation (in professions with over 500 graduates) such as: Underground mining techniques (94%); underground mining electrical engineering (94%); welding (91%); textile technology (87%); Technology of Chemical Dyeing (85%)…Especially some field of study that have large demand, high employment opportunities (over 90%), but less number of students, such as: underground mining construction engineering; repair of metallurgical devices; topographic survey; Geodetic survey; Treatment of industrial wastewater…


“Double training” for learner and beneficiary enterprises
Mr. Pham Xuan Khanh, Principal of Hanoi Vocational College of High Technology said: “Our school has cooperation relationship with over 400 domestic and foreign enterprises, many of which are large corporations such as Samsung Electronics Ltd., Canon Vietnam Ltd., Hong Hai Science and Technology Corporation, Vietnam CNC and Technology Application JSC…; many firms show their willingness in making “order” of students in the fields: mechanics, welding, metrochanics with our school. Thereby, we have high rate of students getting a job right after graduation. During school year of 2014, over 80% students earned a stable job before graduation with high income from 5 to 13 million VND. In some fields, rate of students getting a job is 100% but the supply of student is not sufficient for enterprises’ demand. Apart from that, for students who want to become technical workers in Japan, if they meet job requirements from Japanese enterprises, the school commits to help students go to and work in Japan with exceptionally high income.
According to Mr. Khanh, beside continuous improvement of student quality, the school needs to constantly be an initiative in cooperation with enterprises, understands enterprises’ needs and makes connection to provide students with high quality practice environment, and high employment opportunities at enterprises.
Being an enterprise with “close” relationship with Hanoi Vocational College of High Technology, Director of Vietnam CNC and Technology Application JSC Ha Thanh Hai (based in Nam Tu Liem district, Hanoi) said: “From 2012 up to now, the company has offered apprenticeship to students from fields of mechanics, high technology, welding, assembling. Many students who expressed desires to work for the company were accepted. In 2014, we hand-picked some majors in field of mechanics to work for design department at our company. Currently there are eight students involving in assembling and designing process, they are studying but working part-time simultaneously. In work, they will find out their needs and shortcomings. After graduation, they will be able to meet demands from enterprises”.
Representatives from many schools admit that linkage in training will determine success for vocation training schools. Attracting a large number of students involve establishing close relationship with enterprises, signing training contract with many big enterprises, corporations. This relationship is a commitment to creating job opportunities for students after their graduation. In fact, many schools seek deeper relationship with students so as to help them get a job right after graduation. However, “double training” is only one of the first steps for several enterprises and the school, successful implementation requires enterprises to be financially sound to be able to generate jobs…
“Double training” model began to be implemented in Vietnam with assistance of Vietnam-Germany Cooperation Program entitled “Innovation and vocation training in Vietnam”. General Directorate of Vocational Training (Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs) has selected Hung Yen University of Technology and Education in cooperation with German corporation for Cooperation (GIZ), B.Braun Vietnam company, Messer Haiphong Industrial Gases Co., Ltd.  to organize a pilot training program for technicians in Mechatronics-vocational training level. Learners involved in the training have one year studying theories in the school, from second year the curriculum will combine study in school and practices in the company. Aside from that, training allowances for learners will be funded by these two companies…
Mr. Tran Trung, Principal of Hung Yen University of Technology and Education said: “Early 2015, 14 out of 15 in first course graduated and were admitted into aforementioned German companies (11 students worked for B.Braun; 3 worked for Messer). The school is continuing the training for second, third-course students.  During the training, unqualified students will be removed to ensure the quality of technical graduates and be able to meet the demand from enterprises. According to Mr. Tran Trung, “double training” will open a variety of opportunities for students from vocational training schools. With this model, the gap between the school and enterprises will narrow, graduates will not only be equipped with professional knowledge and skill but be able to meet professional requirements set by enterprises, that will result in a creation of high quality workforce.
Head of General Directorate of Vocational Training Mr Duong Duc Lan said, relationship between schools and enterprises in Vietnam has improved drastically in recent years, though types of cooperation between schools and enterprises are still small in number. Vocational training schools is where training and supplies of labor for enterprises occur, enterprises are beneficiaries, but in that relationship, many enterprises have yet to fully understand the responsibility of this training. Therefore, linkage with enterprises in training will be specified in Employment Education law. Forthcoming, if enterprises involve in vocational training process, enterprises’ costs incurred from the training will be exempted from taxation…However, there needs to be more strong mechanisms, policies to stimulate enterprises to participate in vocational training. General Directorate of Vocational Training is studying training model in some advanced countries. With the success of “double training” in Hung Yen University of Technology and Education, this model is being planned for duplication in localities with many large schools, industrial zones such as: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh city, Dong Nai, Binh Duong.

(“Report of International Labour Organization (ILO) shows that there remains a skill gap between school and workplace. Therefore, narrowing the gap and meeting the demand for skilled workforce through close cooperation between enterprises and education, as well as enterprises’ involvement in developing skill standard and training program are of crucial importance.”)