Students of the Dong An Politechnic in the southern province of Binh Duong during a practice period (Photo: VNA)
Tuition for all students at vocational schools will be reduced by 50 percent from this month, according to the Ministry of Finance.
The decision, specified in Circular No 14/2015 jointly signed by three relevant ministries, is hoped to boost vocational training and education, which is in need of more students.
Financial support will also be offered to vocational school students from poor and remote areas during their study, the ministry said.
All students who have graduated from secondary schools will have the right to benefit from this tuition support.
Duong Duc Lam, General Director of the Directorate of Vocational Training, said despite efforts to improve study and training quality, most vocational training schools in Vietnam struggle to recruit students.
Lam said there are several reasons for this, one being parents desire for their children to attend university, not vocational schools.
He said many parents want their children to get a university or college degree and think this will make them more employable than a vocational certificate.
They do not know or ignore the fact that the number of unemployed graduates in Vietnam is high, about 178,000 this year alone, and this undoubtedly will increase in the coming years, said Lam.
"They might not have known that many students who graduate from vocational training schools can more easily find a job and be paid higher than those who graduate from universities," said he.
The official revealed a plan to build a total of more than 45 vocational schools across the country to educate more students.
These schools should be equipped with modern technology to train students to the highest standard of vocational training, he said.
Vietnam’s universities are churning out more graduates than the country can employ, while vocational training schools are struggling to attract students to fulfill the labour market's demand for skilled workers.
Each year, about 1 million high school students graduate and more than 80 percent of them take university entrance exams.
About 60 percent will pass the exams. But those who fail university entrance exams refuse to attend vocational schools, said an official from the National Institute for Vocational Training.
Only 10 percent of senior high school graduates enroll in vocational training schools, said the official, who wished to remain anonymous.
He said many vocational schools have failed to attract large numbers of high school graduates because high schools tend to encourage students towards university. Parents often make the problem worse by encouraging their children to go to university without thinking about their abilities.
Many students who failed the university entrance exam said they wait for next year's exam instead of applying for a vocational school.
Facing a severe student shortage, many vocational training school classrooms equipped with expensive tools and machinery are going unused as enrollment remains stagnant.-VNA
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family of the Republic of Korea (RoK) has announced that it continues to implement a vocational training and skill development programme for Vietnamese women.
As many as 5,800 rural labourers in the southern province of Dong Nai will receive vocational training in 2015, said Deputy Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Tri.
The Mekong Delta has not been able to meet its demand for high-quality human resources to achieve socio-economic development despite some improvement, according to experts.
As many as 28,750 rural labourers in the Mekong Delta City of Can Tho are expected to be trained and employed from 2016-2020 as part of a project introduced at a conference in the city on August 27.
While more jobs will be created as the ASEAN Economic Community comes into effect by the year-end, the number of skilled Vietnamese workers that meet international labour market remains insufficient.
The strategic product, managed and operated by the agency’s centre for digital contents and communications (VNA Media), is an official channel for popularising the Party and State’s information and documents as well as delivering mainstream and trustworthy news to both domestic and international audiences through various kinds of multimedia formats.
Since President Ho Chi Minh founded Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper in 1925, the Vietnamese revolutionary press has become the voice of the people. During the resistance war against the colonialists, journalists took great personal risks to inspire patriotism and the will of rising up against foreign invaders.
The total investment exceeded 319 billion VND (12.2 million USD), including over 261 billion VND from the state budget and 57.5 billion VND mobilised from businesses, organisations, and individuals.
The Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang is intensifying efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing as part of the country’s goal of having the European Commission’s “yellow card” warning lifted.
Throughout its 80-year history, the VNA has remained at the forefront of information dissemination. It has consistently delivered timely, accurate, and objective reports on both domestic and international events, serving the Party’s leadership, the State’s management, and the public’s demand for official news.
With strong support from local authorities, businesses, organisations, and residents, the province has successfully built or repaired 10,707 homes for disadvantaged households, including war veterans, families of martyrs, ethnic minority people, and low-income residents.
Throughout its resistance against colonialists and imperialists, Vietnam developed a revolutionary press that has served as a benchmark for just and legitimate causes worldwide.
Founded in 1842, the Vienna Philharmonic is regarded as a cultural ambassador of Austria, with prestigious conductors like Mahler and Karajan who shape its legacy. Its New Year’s Concert, broadcast to over 90 countries annually, stands as a global symbol of classical music excellence.
PM Chinh lauded the press’s historic role in the nation’s fight for independence and its ongoing process of national development, affirming that the Government always highly appreciates the close partnership and steadfast support of press agencies and journalists nationwide.
In recent decades, Vietnam’s mainstream media has become a reliable and persuasive channel for showcasing the nation’s development policies and achievements, especially in economic matters, according to a senior assistant editor at the Times of India.
A hub for sharing best practices, the event aims to forge solutions for financial sustainability, public media contracts, audience engagement, content innovation, and newsroom restructuring. It is also a moment for Vietnam’s media to accelerate its progress and figure out what the “revolutionary press” means in a new era.
From “Thanh nien”, Vietnam’s first revolutionary newspaper founded by Nguyen Ai Quoc (later President Ho Chi Minh) on June 21, 1925, the revolutionary press has remained devoted to its sacred missions -accompanying the nation, serving the Fatherland, and working for the people.
The official launch of Emirates’ Dubai–Da Nang route on June 2 has sparked a “tourism revolution” for Vietnam’s central coastal city. Da Nang is emerging as a top destination for high-end travelers, particularly from the lucrative Middle Eastern market.
Bernama CEO Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin said VNA has been a consistent and reliable partner in OANA, contributing actively to the regional media landscape through content sharing, coordination, and policy discussions. Their coverage of ASEAN and Indochina issues adds valuable perspectives. Bernama appreciates the collaboration with VNA.
In this era of global integration and digitalisation, the press must adopt modern multimedia models to not only meet increasing information and communication demands but also align with the broader socio-economic development of the country.
A master plan on implementation of recommendations accepted by Vietnam under the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) took effect on June 17.
Running until June 21, the festival brings together more than 80 central and local media organisations, featuring nearly 130 exhibition booths that cover the full spectrum of national life, encompassing economy, politics, culture, society, defence, security, and foreign affairs.
As of June 17, Ca Mau province had achieved its target of supporting the construction and renovation of 4,400 homes, with a total budget of over 235 billion VND (about 9 million USD).
Students of the Dong An Politechnic in the southern province of Binh Duong during a practice period (Photo: VNA)
