Vocational training after grade 9: Early gateway to life

ĐNO - After graduating from grade 9, many students and parents still assume that continuing to high school and then university is the right path. However, recent years have shown that choosing to study a profession early, if it suits your abilities and passion, opens up quick and solid career opportunities - even surpassing old prejudices.

Early vocational training: No longer a “reluctant” choice

“When I finished 9th grade, many people criticized me for not continuing to high school. But my parents believed that I was skillful and liked sewing, so learning a trade was the right path. Looking back now, it was a decision that changed my life,” said Ha Minh Hai, a former student of the Fashion Sewing Vocational College at Da Nang College.

After 5 years of working, honing his skills, and learning more about management, Mr. Hai is now the technical team leader of a famous garment company in Da Nang .

Danang College organizes career counseling for students.

Hai’s story is not an isolated one. Since 2018, Da Nang has continuously implemented a project to stream students after junior high school, encouraging them to study vocational training, intermediate school, and vocational secondary school, instead of concentrating them all on high school. Many colleges in the area have opened intermediate school classes integrated with culture, helping students to study vocational training and culture at the same time, and later on, they can still transfer to university if they want.

Nguyen Huu Tu Phong is one of the first students of the Marketing Intermediate Program at Da Nang College. After leaving secondary school, Phong had a special passion for business. After only 3 years of studying Marketing Intermediate, Phong has now become a Digital Marketing specialist for a startup company, with a starting salary not inferior to that of a university graduate.

“My friends finished 12th grade and are studying for university entrance exams, but I have been working for 2 years. I feel that I am not inferior, I even have more practical experience. The important thing is that I know what I want and pursue it early,” Tu Phong shared.

“Another way” but needs the right direction

According to Mr. Vo Le Anh Huy, the admissions officer of Da Nang College, every year the school receives hundreds of applications from 9th grade graduates to enroll in vocational secondary schools. The employment rate of graduates is over 85%, especially in the fields of mechanical engineering, information technology, industrial electricity, fashion, restaurant and hotel services, etc.

“In reality, many students have practical abilities and vocational skills, but if they continue to study high school, it will be very difficult to keep up with the program. Meanwhile, when studying vocational secondary school, students can practice continuously, hone their skills, and after 2-3 years, they can go to work and earn an income. If parents and students have the right orientation right after middle school, vocational training is a very wise choice,” Mr. Huy affirmed.

However, the biggest barrier today, according to Mr. Ho Viet Ha, Principal of Da Nang College, lies in social psychology. “Many parents still have prejudices about degrees, they think that vocational training is inferior, it is for weak students. That is why many students, even though they are suitable for vocational training, are forced to choose the path of continuing high school, then reluctantly entering university. It is necessary to strongly communicate that: vocational training is also learning - learning to work, to have a stable job, no less than university,” said Mr. Ha.

According to statistics, in the period 2020-2024, the rate of students in Da Nang city registering for vocational training after junior high school has increased slightly, but still accounts for only about 12% of the total number of students graduating from grade 9. This shows that although the policy of streamlining has been in place, the actual implementation still faces many obstacles, especially from the mentality of favoring degrees.

To encourage secondary school students to boldly choose vocational training, there needs to be a coordinated effort from schools, families, and society. According to the admissions officer of Da Nang College: “At career counseling sessions at secondary schools, we try to invite successful alumni to share, creating trust for parents. At the same time, vocational schools also need to commit to training quality and connect with businesses to ensure employment after graduation.”

From another perspective, Mr. Ha Minh Hai believes that it is important that students are respected and encouraged to pursue their strengths. “Not everyone is suitable for university. If you know you are skillful and passionate about technology, then boldly choose a career. The sooner you start, the sooner you will have opportunities. I have experienced it, and I have no regrets about choosing a career right from grade 9,” Mr. Hai said.

In the context of the labor market increasingly valuing practical skills over degrees, the post-secondary education stream is no longer a “turnabout” but a strategic direction. For this to be truly effective, there needs to be a strong shift in educational thinking – from teaching to test to teaching to do.

The stories of Ha Minh Hai, Nguyen Huu Tu Phong… are living proof that: choosing a career after grade 9 is not “lowering” one’s ideals, but knowing how to choose early to rise up. In a fast-developing society, choosing the right path one step early can help you reach the finish line before those who go in circles along the “beaten path”.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/hoc-nghe-sau-lop-9-canh-cua-som-vao-doi-3298351.html