Young people seek information at a job fair in the Hiep Phuoc Industrial Park in HCM City (Photo: VNA) HCMCity (VNA/VNS) - A huge gap existsbetween curricula taught at universities and job requirements of enterprises, auniversity lecturer said at a workshop on cooperation between companies anduniversities, held in HCM City on September 14.
Dr Nguyen Toan, Director of the Centre forBusiness Cooperation and Student Employment at the HCM City University ofTechnology, said: “We must answer a long-time question: What is the realemployment demand and requirements from enterprises?”
“Most of the new graduates are not qualified dueto a lack of skills and experience,” Toan said.
"A good attitude is key to success, andmost new graduates are not aware of this," he noted.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Dr PhamHai Dinh, vice dean of Dong An High Technology College in Binh Duong province,told Vietnam News: “One of the challenges faced by enterprises inrecruitment is that universities focus a lot on academic knowledge, whileenterprises need skills and competence.”
“Universities and enterprises should cooperateand develop an internship programme to provide students with hands-on,practical experience, which will benefit students and enterprises,” he said.
He said enterprises were not sufficientlyinterested in developing connections with universities in recruitment orinvesting in scientific research.
In more developed countries, the connectionbetween enterprises and universities is more strategic.
“Enterprises and the university shouldparticipate in the development of postgraduate programmes, internships,and long-term research complexes to achieve technological breakthroughs.”
The university should also have a more stablesource of funding for teaching and scientific research, and the opportunity topublish research results that are groundbreaking and highly applicable.
He said that enterprises should set long-term cooperation goals, and invest ingraduate students and interns.
Pham Thi Thuy Hien, senior manager of humanresources at First Solar Vietnam Manufacturing Co. Ltd, said most graduateswere not aware of labour law regulations, while enterprises lacked informationabout students’ job expectations.
“Enterprises also expect the university toprovide effective soft-skill training to students, emphasising appropriatemanners not only at the university, but also in enterprises, since behaviouralculture in the corporate environment is different from theuniversity,” she said.
Nguyen Thi Thanh Tam, vice dean of HCM CityCollege of Economics, said the college planned to renew training programmes andmaintain long-term cooperation with enterprises.
She said that effective training programmes,creating conditions for students to visit companies and complete internships,were needed.
“The link between enterprises and universitiesis often short term, only addressing demand-side issues and tending to connectthrough research contracts, consultancy and technology transfer agreements,”she said.
One of the students attending the workshop,Nguyen Le Hong Tham, a second-year student at the HCM City College ofEconomics, told Vietnam News: “My major is in economics and trade.I’m interested in information related to the demands and requirements ofenterprises so I can better prepare for my job upon graduation.”
At the meeting, a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) on cooperation in training, human resources and internship was signedbetween the Job and Enterprise Supporting Service Centre (JESC), universitiesand enterprises.
The workshop aimed to promote cooperationbetween universities and enterprises in research and technology transfer,creative new ideas, and human resources.-VNS/VNA
VNA
