Schools train teachers, businesses need workers, and students are unemployed.

At a recent seminar in Ho Chi Minh City providing information on labor market forecasts and career guidance for university admissions in 2019, experts presented a wealth of information on labor demand, along with warning indicators about future workforce needs.

60% students chose the wrong major.

According to survey data from the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Human Resource Demand Forecasting and Labor Market Information, from 2018-2025, the city needs an additional 300,000 workers each year (150,000 additional jobs).

Specifically, the demand for trained personnel averages 851 TP3T. Of this, the demand for entry-level vocational training accounts for 211 TP3T, intermediate level for 281 TP3T, college level for 161 TP3T, and university level or higher for 181 TP3T. According to this forecast, the demand for intermediate-level skilled labor is the highest, followed by entry-level vocational training.

However, a survey of students at 120 high schools in the city from 2016-2018 showed that the desire to attend university remained the highest, with 871 students choosing to attend university, followed by 71 students choosing to attend college, and 61 students choosing to attend vocational school. The majority of students were interested in and explored fields related to engineering, technology, and economics-finance.

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Meanwhile, statistics on labor demand in Ho Chi Minh City show that the service sector accounts for 70% of the city's workforce, the industrial and construction sector accounts for 28%, and the agricultural sector accounts for 21%.

According to forecasts, the current supply of highly skilled and professionally qualified human resources is insufficient to meet current and future market demands.

Mr. Tran Anh Tuan, Deputy Director of the Center for Forecasting Human Resource Needs and Labor Market Information in Ho Chi Minh City, believes there is a "mismatch" between market demand and the aspirations of students, as well as the reality of training at schools. Most students want to go to university for prestige. Schools also focus on training teachers, while the actual demand is for skilled workers.

Approximately 601 students chose the wrong major. Only 51 students had a good understanding of their chosen field. 751 students lacked understanding of their chosen field. In Ho Chi Minh City, about 801 students and trainees found employment after graduation. Of those, 501 found jobs that matched their abilities.

“"Currently, career counseling in high schools is not effective, leading to students choosing the wrong profession. They graduate without jobs, or those who do find work don't earn the income they desire," Mr. Tuan analyzed.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Tai, Director of the Center for Teacher Training and Development, Institute of Educational Research, Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, said that the quality of career guidance activities in high schools today is not good.

Many schools lack the resources to organize career guidance and networking events for students. Many schools also lack dedicated career counseling staff, and teachers often lack specialized training and practical experience.

Following Mr. Tai's suggestion, Mr. Tuan added that it is necessary to improve the quality of career counseling by establishing psychological and career counseling rooms in high schools.

This is a short-term measure. In the long term, universities, colleges, and vocational schools need to determine and balance training quotas, closely linking them to the needs of businesses.

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Mr. Tran Anh Tuan advises students to choose their field of study based on their abilities and interests. (Photo:) MN (Zing news) .

University graduates do not earn high salaries.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs in the second quarter of 2018, salaried workers with a university degree earned the highest income at 7.87 million VND/month, followed by those with a primary education level at 6.51 million VND/month. Those with a college degree earned an average of 6.12 million VND/month, while those with a vocational degree earned an average of 5.57 million VND/month.

Thus, according to these statistics, the income of those with a university degree is only 1.3 million VND/month higher than that of those with a primary education level. The monthly income of workers with primary education level is also higher than that of workers with intermediate and college degrees.

According to Mr. Tuan, this is an inevitable consequence of the market demand being "out of sync" with the available workforce and the educational choices of students. While companies and factories need many workers with elementary, intermediate, and college-level qualifications, students still only want to go to university.

According to Mr. Tuan's explanation, the reason why the monthly salaries of entry-level workers are higher than those with intermediate or college degrees, and not significantly different from those with university degrees or higher, is because this workforce is scarce, making it difficult for businesses to recruit, thus forcing them to pay higher salaries.

“"However, you shouldn't be discouraged or give up halfway just because the monthly salary of a university graduate isn't high. Because someone with a university degree or higher, if competent, will see their salary increase faster than workers at other levels. The initial salary may be disproportionate to the level of education, but in the long run, those who know how to create value for themselves will have an income advantage," Mr. Tuan said.