Many Vietnamese students find it difficult to get a job after their graduation as they have little idea what career they wish to pursue.
Students should be equipped with basic soft skills before graduation
The Rosa Luxemburg Institute Vietnam helped Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities conduct a survey on nearly 3,000 graduates in Vietnam.
Unqualified graduates
The survey revealed that 58.2% of graduates said they did not know where to apply for a job.
As many as 42% of the surveyed people failed to meet employer requirements, while 27% were unable to find a job as their major did not match market demand.
A total of 18% of them couldn’t find a job as employers were unaware of the subject they had chosen to study.
The survey also indicated that as many as 70% of surveyed graduates said they were still vague about their future career.
Dr. Trinh Van Tun, from the University of Social Sciences, said “Many students lack information about careers related to the subject they’re studying.”
Dr. Tun concluded that large numbers of students chose their undergraduate courses by chance rather than through deliberate choice. This has unfortunately meant that they have been unable to find jobs as employers aren’t broad minded enough to accept a degree qualification as being indicative of a graduate’s ability to absorb new ideas or think for themselves.
Employers disappointed
Vu Thu Ha, Director of Hoa Mat Troi Psychological Application Joint Stock Company, said, “Enterprises have said that up to 94% of graduates need further training after being employed. Of whom, 92% have to get further training in their major, 61% in basic soft skills and 53% in communication skills.”
Ha noted that even those with good or excellent degrees were poor in practical skills, and the majority were bad at English, and lacked IT and administrative skills.
“Many enterprises are not interested in employing new graduates due to fears that they have to retrain them. They prefer recruiting experienced workers to save their time, this has narrowed employment opportunities for new graduates,” she admitted.
In order to improve the situation, she said it was vital to change education methods at training institutions and pay more attention to teaching practical skills.
Universities and colleges should heighten the joint development of training programmes, she recommended.
The university’s Dr. Pham Manh Ha, emphasised the importance of equipping students with basic soft skills related to job interview techniques and communication skills before their graduation.
In addition to specialised knowledge, students should be active in improving their skills in a bid to better adapt to the labour market following graduation.