A new career guidance programme aims to help students between the 9th
and 12th grades gain better access to information about career paths and
job opportunities.
The programme, to be available next
year, will support students in making well-considered decisions on
selecting suitable vocational schools or universities in north central
Nghe An and south central Quang Nam provinces.
The Flemish
Association for Development Co-operation and Technical Assistance from
Belgium (VVOB) is set to run the programme in partnership with the local
departments of education and women's unions.
Details on
the programme were offered at a workshop held in Hanoi on Dec.3,
which brought together teachers and educational officials at provincial
levels and stakeholders involved for discussion and planning.
The new programme is integrated into VVOB's existing teaching programme
for the 2008-13 period, which supports the Government's policy of
student-centred learning by co-operating with the local departments of
education, women's unions and teachers training institutes in the five
provinces of Thai Nguyen, Quang Ninh, Nghe An, Quang Nam and Quang
Ngai.
"Career guidance is somehow ignored in Vietnam and
many other countries, including even Belgium , despite it being a
very important part of education," said Wilfried Theunis, the
programme's manager from VVOB.
Theunis said this was the
reason for VOOB's decision to launch the programme in Vietnam . He
pointed out that so far only limited efforts have been directed to
developing career guidance, which is an important factor in linking the
education system to the labour market.
According to
Theunis, the new programme aims to make information on professional
opportunities readily available to teachers and educational experts to
equip them with sufficient skills in career guidance, while also
offering more information on career options to students.
The planned activities include development of an information database at
the provincial level, training and development of training materials
for career guidance and activities at the communal level to raise
awareness about career guidance, including the value of technical and
vocational education and training.
"Students should know
that going to university is not the only option they have in pursuing a
successful career," said Theunis.
By 2013, the programme is expected to be extended to other provinces if successful in Nghe An and Quang Ngai./.