VietNamNet Bridge – Vocational training in Singapore has brought Nguyen Truong Giang more job opportunities and a higher salary than many of his university educated colleagues.

Giang, 20, spent 10 months in Singapore studying Tourism and Hospitality Management at college level and got a job as a PR executive in a foreign embassy in Ha Noi with a salary of VND8 million (US$400) a month.

Now he has an even higher-paid position in a PR company in HCM City.

"Internships with big hotels and education at an institute in Singapore improved my ability," Giang said.

In fact, Giang passed the university entrance exam two years ago but chose to go abroad for vocational study, which also provided practical experience.

He said it was the right decision because Vietnamese universities and colleges don't provide practical experience.

The other advantage, Giang said, was that many students got the opportunity to stay abroad and enjoy three to four times the salary and a better life.

"If they have chance they often don't go home," he said.

However, Giang said, while many high school graduates went abroad for vocational studies, this option was ignored by Viet Nam educational authorities. Nguyen Trung Ha, director of IDP Education's Ha Noi office, which represents more than 600 Australian education and training facilities, said Vietnamese students often chose the food industry, events management or electronics.

Chefs who qualify after a two-year TAFE institute cook course in Australia may get a salary of $750-$1,000 a month as a chef working overseas.

Favourite destinations for training were Australia, Switzerland and Canada. The fee in Australia was about US$16,564-$20,700 a year. New Zealand also had advantages because of the lower value of the dollar
Bui Khac Cu, general secretary of International Study Association of Viet Nam said students chose to study abroad because overseas qualifications were recognised internationally and the students developed a good command of English which gave them more opportunities.

"Students from overseas vocational universities are working for multinational companies in Viet Nam with good salaries," he said.

Duong Duc Lan, deputy director of the Ministry of Labour's Vocational Training Department, said overseas trained people helped overcome the shortage of skilled labour with strong language skills in the domestic market.

The department's Nguyen Thanh Cong said Viet Nam's vocational institutes were having difficulties attracting students and those who graduated were having trouble finding jobs.

He said the department had no information or knowledge of vocational training abroad and no idea how many students were studying overseas because they often went through consultant companies.

Nanyang-PCC Vocational Training Centre director Le Minh Thu, in Ha Noi, said vocational studies abroad was more practical and more interesting.

"It gives students more skills and better jobs," she said. "So education managers should take care of and extend support to vocational students going overseas."

VietNamNet/VNS