Limitation on the development of skills in higher education in Vietnam
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Limitation on the development of skills in higher education in Vietnam Thi Tuyet Tran
Published online: 20 February 2013 © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2013
Abstract This study investigates the perceptions of higher education students, recent graduates and employers in Vietnam on the issue of skill development in the higher education system in Vietnam. Enhancing skill development is considered essential for students, not only to pursue their study, but also for their success later, at work and in life. The results suggest that though there is evidence of effort to change, to include and to develop soft skills in the system, the central-controlled curriculum, the traditional teaching method, the prevalence of passiveness among students and cultural features all hinder the effort of developing skills for university students. The limitation in skill development during university is considered one of the biggest barriers preventing university graduates from making a smooth transition to the workplace. Keywords Skill development · Higher education · Vietnam · Limitations · Transition · Employment
Introduction Since the economic liberalization in 1986, both the Vietnamese economy and its higher education system (HES) have been developed very quickly. Paradoxically, despite the fact that each year thousands of students graduate, many having difficulties finding work, employers still complain that it is hard to find graduates with the required knowledge and skills. Complaints are made about university graduates being weak in planning their future, having impractical professional knowledge and lacking necessary skills required by the contemporary workplace. Skill limitation is considered one of the biggest barriers T. T. Tran (&) La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia e-mail: [email protected] T. T. Tran Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam e-mail: [email protected]
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High Educ (2013) 65:631–644
preventing university graduates from having a smooth transition to the workplace (Tran Ngoc Ca 2006; Tran Quang Trung and Swierczek 2009). This paper discusses part of the findings of a doctoral research project entitled ‘Enhancing graduate employability: from the perspective of students and graduates in Vietnam’. By looking at perceptions of university students and graduates and the expectations of employers regarding students’ skill development for the employment market, this article is concerned with the wider context of the graduate skill development issue in Vietnam. It aims to bring about the overall picture of skill development in higher education in Vietnam, to examine the main reasons for the limitations for this development and to suggest solutions to enhance necessary skills for Vietnamese graduates before entering the workforce.
Literature review From the end of twentieth century graduate career and employment patterns have changed significantly. In an increasingly global competitive market, with the development of information technology and the mobilization of workers across boundarie
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