Sustainable direction at Mountainous Vocational College

Students learn sewing at Thanh Hoa Mountainous Vocational College.

In the 2024-2025 school year, the school's enrollment exceeded 122.7% of the target, bringing the total number of intermediate-level students to 886. Notably, more than 90% of the school's students are ethnic minority children from localities with poor learning conditions. Despite the diverse student population and low starting points, with the motto of taking the learner as the center, the school has made constant efforts in organizing teaching and practice associated with the labor market.

In addition to the cultural program, vocational training classes are implemented systematically, synchronously and are increasingly expanding in scale. Each school year, the school organizes enrollment and training in the direction of diversifying occupations, meeting the practical needs of the local labor market. Specifically, the 2022-2024 course trains 398 students in 7 occupations with a high rate of good and excellent students in key occupations such as industrial electricity, fashion sewing, metal cutting, etc. The 2023-2025 course continues to maintain 7 occupations with 377 students. Notably, the 2024-2026 school year recorded a sharp increase in quantity with 509 students, evenly distributed in 16 classes in 7 occupations, demonstrating the trust of learners in the training quality of the school. This shows that the vocational training organization process has gone into depth, with a clear roadmap, contributing to building a source of technical human resources with qualifications and vocational skills suitable to the socio-economic development conditions of mountainous areas.

Not only teaching theory, the school also promotes practical activities in workshops and especially closely coordinates with businesses to send students to internships and approach real work. In the 2024-2025 school year, more than 400 students were given the opportunity to participate in internships at large enterprises such as TP Inc. Group, Saram Vina Company, JHL Vietnam Group, etc. Many students were recruited after their internships. Notably, 15 students were selected to work in Japan, of which 4 students have left the country. This is an encouraging number for a mountainous school.

“I chose to study sewing because I saw my sister studying here and having a stable job near home. I hope that after graduation I will be recruited into a company like my sister,” said Luong Thi Ha, a student from the Fashion Sewing class. For Ha, a Thai ethnic student, studying a trade near home, with low costs, and having the opportunity to work right after graduation is a real door to change her life.

Determining that in order to provide vocational training linked to practice, the role of enterprises is indispensable, the Mountainous Vocational College has been proactive in linking with enterprises and providing career counseling to students. During the school year, the school has provided career counseling and guidance to more than 5,000 people, mainly middle and high school students in mountainous districts... In addition to inviting enterprises to directly consult, interview, and recruit at the school, the school also regularly updates the skills requirements of enterprises to adjust the training program. All training majors are carefully reviewed to avoid widespread training and empty theory.

“The school always orients students to study to work, to establish themselves and their careers, not just to get a degree. We are determined to create a solid and stable output for students, especially in the context of the current volatile labor market,” said Mr. Pham Yen Truong, the school’s principal.

Not only providing clear career orientation, the school also focuses on training soft skills, industrial style, and teamwork skills for students. Thanks to that, the rate of students having jobs right after graduation is increasing, many of them even become the economic pillars for their families.

“At first, I intended to quit school to work to help my family, but with the encouragement of my teachers, I tried to continue. Now, I not only learned a trade, but also became much more confident in communication and teamwork. I want to open an electrical repair shop in my hometown in the future,” said Vi Van Cuong, a student in the Air Conditioning Technology class.

In order to provide truly effective and sustainable vocational training, in the coming time, the Mountainous Vocational College will continue to innovate teaching methods, especially increasing the application of information technology in management and training. This will not only help improve teaching efficiency, but also help students access digital skills - one of the essential requirements of the modern labor market.

At the same time, the cooperation with enterprises will be expanded and upgraded. Not stopping at coordinating internships and recruitment as in previous years, the school aims to build more flexible training programs, integrating vocational skills that enterprises really need. Thereby, students can both study and work, shortening the gap between training and practice.

In addition to developing internal resources, the school also proactively expands the career counseling network from lower levels. By bringing career guidance activities closer to middle and high school students in mountainous districts, the school hopes to help them identify their interests, abilities and choose the right career path from the beginning. At the same time, it focuses on training and improving the capacity of the teaching staff, creating favorable conditions for teachers to study at higher levels, accessing the latest pedagogical methods and technology. In particular, it strengthens propaganda and raises awareness among parents and local communities about the role of vocational training. When the prejudice of "vocational training is a secondary choice" is gradually replaced by a realistic and positive view, students will have more motivation to pursue vocational training to start a career.

Article and photos: Tran Hang

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/huong-di-ben-vung-nbsp-tai-truong-trung-cap-nghe-mien-nui-253799.htm