VietNamNet Bridge - Multibillions of dong have been pumped into vocational schools, but this has not helped prevent schools from sinking.

Nguyen Van Phuc, a National Assembly’s deputy from Ha Tinh province, questioned the Minister of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs Pham Thi Hai Chuyen why a lot of vocational schools built at the costs of billions of dong still have been idle, while Vietnam still lacks skilled and trained workers.

Chuyen admitted that this is a big waste of the society’s resources as a lot of schools have been built but cannot operate at full capacity. This is because the schools cannot enroll enough students.

Many vocational school graduates cannot find jobs. The key problem lies in the unreasonable training method followed by schools which produce substandard workers.

A report of the Ministry of Labor, Ward Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) showed that 14 vocational schools were established in 2011-2015 alone which provided 3-year training, but still cannot enroll students for 3-year and 2-year training courses. These include five state-owned schools. 

The Dai An Vocational Junior College, Licogi Technology and Vinalines College, all privately owned, were set up in 2008, but have not been operational yet, because the investors, in the context of the economic difficulties, cannot arrange capital as committed.

The Farmers’ Association’s Central Committee and nine local authorities have been found as spending billions of dong on the equipment for their vocational schools. However, the equipment has not been used because they do not fit the training curricula.

Admitting that the unused schools and equipment have caused a big waste of the society’s resources, Chuyen promised to urge her staff to strengthen inspection to keep tighter control over investments to be sure of the high efficiency of the investment items.

When asked what to do with the schools which cannot find students, Chuyen said some of them will be dissolved or merged into others. Some cities and provinces reported they have drawn up a plan to merge ineffective schools with better ones.

In the immediate time, no more new state-owned junior colleges (3-year training) will be established, excepts the ones upgraded from intermediate schools (2-year training).

According to MOLISA, there are 190 operational vocational junior colleges throughout the country, including 142 state-owned schools; 280 vocational intermediate schools, including 178 state-owned; and 997 vocational centers, including 653 state owned. 

The mushrooming of vocational schools some years ago was once commented as ‘good news’ because experts believed ‘Vietnam had abundant workers with bachelor’s degree, but lacked workers with good skills. 

However, vocational schools are not the favorite choice for the majority of Vietnamese high school graduates who prefer going to university. 

Tien Phong