Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Only 12.3 percent of Vietnamese businesses have regular cooperationwith vocational schools, making it difficult to improve the country’svocational education and solve unemployment.

A report by the National Assembly Committee for Culture, Education, Youth,Adolescents and Children has pointed out that the partnerships betweenvocational schools and companies remained loose and unable to satisfy therising demands of the labour market.

Although the cooperativerelations have been improved recently, it is mostly schools asking foron-the-job training opportunities for their students while companies play therole of grace givers.

“Germany’s dual vocational training system gives us a good example forconnecting vocational schools and enterprises since it provides a wonderfulapproach to build capacity for trainees. Some 50 percent of students areoffered on-the-job training,” Dong Van Ngoc, Director of the Hanoi Mechanicaland Electrical College, told Thanh nien (Young People) Newspaper.

In Vietnam, the cooperation between the two stakeholders has only gainedattention since 2011.

“Most companies consider training an expense, not an investment for theirsustainable development. Therefore, they tend to use seasonal workers,” said TranNgoc Tinh, former director of Viglacera College.

Sharing the opinion, Nguyen Cong Truyen, Director of the Vietnam-KoreaVocational College, said that in most cases schools have to proactively askcompanies to collaborate.

“Only a few companies agree to join yet offer students internships withlimited remuneration. Some companies even give students jobs which are notsuited to their skills,” said Truyen.

Le Dinh Kha, Director of the Cao Thang Technical College in HCM City, stressedthe growth mindset of both schools and companies as a key to enhance dualvocational training.

Schools are recommended to collaborate with experts from companies to setgoals, graduation requirements, develop curriculums and invest in facilities.

“Syllabuses needfrequent updates to keep up with changes in technology. Schools should alsoresearch criteria that companies set for their workers, organise job fairs andconduct surveys on students after their internships to understand the labourmarket’s constantly changing demands,” said Kha.

According to Truyen, the partnership of companies and vocational schools willoffer a win-win situation for both.

Companies can pilot the manufacturing of new products at vocational schools, atthe same time, enjoy the Government’s preferential policies for theirparticipation in training activities.

Vu Tien Loc, head of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry stressed uponcompanies as the main motivation to accelerate vocational training in Vietnam.

The Government is responsible for developing policies and framework whileemployers play the role of investor and orientator for the country’s vocationaleducation.

To sustain thecooperation, companies need to join hands in all procedures, from selectingstudents, training and using workers./.