This chapter summarizes the research process, concludes the results and proposes solutions to develop cooperating programs between vocational schools and enterprises.
The author has conducted a research on the cooperation between vocational schools and enterprises to find solutions to develop cooperating programs to enhance knowledge and skills of graduates. Ten MOIT’s schools, including universities, colleges, and vocational colleges in the North and the South are selected for the survey. Two vocational schools under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Nghe An province were chosen for the survey. To study the assessment of enterprises about the knowledge and skills of graduates and their opinions on cooperating programs, 233 companies in partnerships with MOIT’s vocational schools are selected for the survey. Respondents in vocational schools are leaders, deans and teachers (574 people). Those in enterprises are manager, supervisors, staff in charge of personnel (01 questionnaire for each enterprise).
Summary of Findings
The following are the findings of the study:
1. The results show that enterprises assess the working capability, the general knowledge and the vocational knowledge/skills which is rather low in comparison with production requirements (less than 4.0 on a 5.0 point scale). There is no difference in the assessment of knowledge
and skills of graduates between enterprises of different ownership.
However, there is a difference in the assessment between enterprises of different industries. The weakest points are: the ability to organize production process, problem solving, teamwork, English skills, NC, CNC, PLC, PIC programming and operating modern equipment skills.
This is the problem that enterprises have to face in the process of production development: How to build up a high quality workforce to meet the requirements of business? Cooperation with vocational training schools is one of the feasible solutions for this issue, which has been applied successfully by some enterprises.
2. Vocational schools have to face the fact that elements to ensure the quality of vocational training are limited. The weakest points are:
vocational programs are not updated with business feedback, training equipment are using obsolete technology, and vocational teachers have little access to actual production. This reinforces the poor assessment of enterprises about the knowledge, skills and working capability of graduates from vocational schools. The vocational schools have to find solutions for this issue in the condition of lacking resources from the government. Cooperation with the enterprises for further resources is an appropriate solution that has been successfully applied by some vocational schools.
3. Many cooperating programs have been done. However, the most popular program is providing students with internship opportunity at enterprises. Other programs of cooperation have not been done
regularly and lacked in numbers. However, some schools have an effective cooperation model.
4. All cooperating programs show influence on the knowledge and skills of students in vocational schools. It is internship at enterprises that has the most significant influence. Supporting programs of enterprises for students (scholarships), providing information on recruitment, receiving interns all have impact on the improvement of the knowledge and skills of graduates. The development of cooperation leads to improvement of the quality of training.
5. Factors that hinder cooperation and business schools are consistently agreed upon by both sides (schools and enterprises). Lack of state regulations to encourage both parties to cooperate, lack of information on partnership and not ensuring the mutual benefits are main obstacles in the development of cooperating programs. Removing these barriers will improve the development of cooperation. This requires the participation of schools, enterprises and the government. The activeness of each party (schools, enterprises) in the cooperation is an indispensable and key factor. The cooperation has to ensure a win-win benefit for both parties.
6. Businesses are willing to cooperate with vocational schools. All survey collaboration programs are accepted. Almost all enterprises are aware of the significant benefits of school-enterprise cooperation. This cooperation provides enterprises with skilled human resources. This is an essential basis for vocational schools to operate cooperating
programs with enterprises in accordance with their conditions.
Enterprises and schools have similar assessment of the benefits of cooperation. Therein, the evaluation of benefits by enterprises is higher than that of schools. There is no difference in the evaluation of the benefits of cooperation between enterprises of different industries or different types of ownership. Opinions of teachers from schools of different groups (region/ level of training/ scale of training) represent no difference in the assessement of benefits of cooperation. This is an important basis to build up and operate collaboration programs. All programs need to show benefits for both parties.
7. to propose some solutions/recomendations to enhance industry- academy cooperation and to improve the capability, knowledge and skills of vocational students;
There are three groups of cooperating programs between schools and enterprises that can be developed to improve cooperation. These are (1) Collaboration in information exchange, (2) Collaboration in providing and exchanging resources and (3) Collaboration in setting training targets and plans of vocational schools.
Conclusions
Based on the findings, the following conclusions were conceptualized:
1. The capability, knowledge and skills of graduates from vocational schools do not meet the requirements of the job. Businesses deliver the lowest assessment for such skills as organizing in production,
communicating, team-working and problem-solving. This situation also applies for graduates’ knowledge and skills in statistics, English, CNC, PIC, PLC programming, electric/electronic circuit designing and modern equipment operating.
2. Current conditions at schools affecting capability, knowledge and skills of graduates include factors that ensure quality of vocational training.
Among these factors, the shortage of updated training content and teachers visiting business environment as well as the lack in quality and quantity of technology equipment are most prevalent.
3. There are three groups of cooperating program between vocational schools and businesses, namely: information exchange, resources supply and exchange, and vocational training plan design.
Arrangement of internship for students at businesses is the most popular and most regular industry-academy cooperating activity. Other activities are also done to encourage cooperation, yet not often.
4. Businesses and vocational schools share similar opinions about the benefits of cooperation in training. Cooperation has a positive impact on knowledge and skills of vocational students. Enterprises are willing to participate in cooperating programs with vocational schools.
5. Factors hindering industry-academy cooperation in vocational training include a weak mechanism to encourage/force the cooperation, the lack of information about partners and the fact that one party does not assure the interests of the other.
6. School-enterprise cooperation activities are related to the conditions to ensure training quality and benefits of cooperation.
7. The results of this study can help MOIT’s schools and other vocational schools to develop their cooperating programs with enterprises to improve the quality of training. The study also provides a good basis for managerial agencies to develop appropriate policies to promote school-enterprise cooperating programs. This is also a reference resource for the people studying about vocational training.
Recommendations
Based on the findings and conclusions, the following are recommended:
1. Establish specialized department which is in charge of the development of school-enterprise cooperation by assigning teachers capable of communicating to operate the cooperating programs.
2. Improve the training capacity of schools to meet the requirements of enterprises in the cooperation.
3. Propose cooperation programs in accordance with capability and make the best and effort to keep the commitments.
4. Inviting engineers and technicians in enterprises to design the training contents; receive feedback and opinions of enterprises to improve and update teaching programs; and discuss with enterprises in designing effective intership programs.
5. Each vocational school needs to consider these solutions: cooperate with enterprises to regularly offer chances for teachers to learn at production bases, to join in workshops and witness technology tranfer;
set the minium number of hours per year for each teacher to visit and
learn at enterprises; and suggest to enterprises to appoint skilled technicians and engineers to instruct and to share information about professions and job requirements with students.
6. Enterprises should also implement social responsibility and the duty to develop human resources of the country, which is indirectly beneficial for them.
7. Enterprises can build their own vocational training schools.This model is suitable for large enterprises with high demand of human resources. By doing this, it will be more convenient for enterprise to arrange internship and practise for students in the production units.
8. Establish communication channels between vocational schools and businesses to better understand the needs and capabilities of each party.
9. Vocational schools should develop their own website to introduce training courses that they offer, the number of graduates in each major, the learning agenda of each class and faculty, short-term courses for employees of companies, and other information about the experience and competence of the schools. Both parties should maintain goodwill via Email as well.
10. Organize workshops between vocational schools and enterprises.
Enterprises should make use of associations, the managers of industrial zones, organizations of businesses (VCCI, SMEs,) to implement this activity.
11. Organize visiting trip and discussion with enterprises.
12. Organize survey in businesses to collect information and opinions about partnership programs.
13. Develop the activities of the alumni.
14. The government should develop a policy framework to ensure the rights and encourage the cooperation
REFERENCES
Afonso, A, Jamirez, J.J., Diaz-Puente, J.M., University- industry cooperation in the education domain to foster competitiveness and employment, Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 46 (2012 ) p.3947 – 3953 Ayla, C.D., Isgoren, N.C., University-industry cooperation in terms of textile-
apparel education. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 2 (2010), p.3437–3441
Bryan Daly & Le Phuong Yen. Consulting for schools, fields effectively – organizations. 2003
Cao Van Sam. Vocational Training Technology. 2012,
Carmela I.Torres, 2014. Industry Participation in TVTET: international Experience and Good Practice. Seminar on Industry Participation in TVTET in Vietnam: From Practice to Policy Implications
Collins, N, 2005. Economic reform and unemployment in Vietnam. In J.
Benson & Y. Zhu (Eds.), Unemployment in Asia (pp. 176–193). London and New York: Routledge.
General Department of Vocational Training. The status of combining vocational training at schools and enterprises at present-Journal of science on vocational training. 2004
GIZ and GDVT, 2012. Business Sector Involvement in TVET Delivery and Governance in Viet Nam.
GIZ, 2014. Cooperrative Training Model – Programme Reform of TVET in Vietnam . Seminar on Industry Participation in TVTET in Vietnam:
From Practice to Policy Implications.
HaUI (2012), Annual report of the Industry Relationship
Hoang Trong & Chu Nguyen Mong Ngoc. Analyzing data with SPSS. 2008 http://baodientu.chinhphu.vn/Home/Toan-van-cac-van-kien-Dai-hoi-XI-cua-
Dang/20113/70447.vgp, Strategy of Vietnam socio-economic development for 2011-2020
http://vanban.moet.gov.vn/?page=1.15&script=viewdoc&view=4230&opt=brpa ge, Strategy for development of education and training in Viet Nam for 2011-2020
http://www.molisa.gov.vn/docs/VBPL/detailVBPL/tabid/213/DocID/6709/TabM oduleSettingsId/450/language/vi-VN/Default.aspx, Strategy of Vietnam human resources development for 2011-2020
http://www.molisa.gov.vn/docs/VBPL/tabid/188/IsSearchMode/True/language/
vi-
VN/Default.aspx?keyword=chi%E1%BA%BFn%20l%C6%B0%E1%BB
%A3c%20ph%C3%A1t%20tri%E1%BB%83n%20d%E1%BA%A1y%20 ngh%E1%BB%81,
http://www.molisa.gov.vn/docs/VBPL/tabid/188/IsSearchMode/True/language/
vi-VN/Default.aspx?keyword=58/2008/q%C4%91-bl%C4%91tbxh, Regulation on framework secondary and college vocational programs.
Hua Thuy Trang &Pham Vu Khiem (2011). Innovative Model of Vocational Training to Meet Enterprises Requirement in Vietnam. ANQ Congress Vietnam 2011.
Isgoren, N.C., Cinar, A., Tektas, N. The importance of cooperation between vocational schools and industry. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 1 (2009), p.1313–1317
Mac Van Tien, Se-Yung LIM, Pham Le Phuong, Phung Quang Huy,Alexander Schnarr, Wu Quanquan,Xu Ying, Frank Bünning. Linking Vocational Training with the enterprises - Asian Perspectives. 2009
MOIT ( 2010, 2011,2012), Annual training report
Mori, J.,2014. Promoting Tripartite Partnerships To Tackle Skills Mismatch.
Seminar on Innovative Skills Development Strategies to Accelerate Vietnam’s Industrialization.
National Institute for Vocational Training. Vocational Training Report- Viet Nam 2011. 2012.
National Institute for Vocational Training. Vocational Training Report- Viet Nam 2012. 2014.
Nguyen Huu Chau. Education Quality: Theory and Practice. 2008 Nguyen Viet Su. Vocational training: problems and solutions. 2005
Pham Manh Thuy, 2014. Opportunities and Challenge for HRD: Experiences of Vietnam. 5th Asean Development Forum.
Phan Chinh Thuc.Solutions for vocational training that contributes to human resources of industrialization and modernization. 2003
Phan Tung Mau. Customized training, a solution combining training with using of human resources in the condition of macro-economic in our country
at present – From strategy of developing education to policy of developing human resources . 2002
Research Institute and Educational Program. To find out some models of combining vocational training between schools and company. 2003 Sen Cong and Xiaomei Wang. A Perspective on Technical and Vocational
Education and Training. 2010
Se-Yung LIM. Experiences and Reflections on Industrial Needs Orientation of Vocational Technical High School Education in the Republic of Korea . 2009
Thang, L. C., & Quang, T., 2005. Antecedents and consequences of dimensions of human resources management and practices in
Vietnam. International Journal of Human Resources Management, 16, 48–64.
Thang, N. N. & Huy. T. N.. Assessing employment trends in Vietnam in the context of transition to higher-value economy. Proceedings of the International Conference on Business Administration in a Global Society, August 15, 2012, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Thang, N. N., Quang, T., & Buyens, D., 2011. The impact of training on firm performance: case of Vietnam. Research and Practice of Human Resources Management, 19(1), 11-24
Thang, N.N., & Quang, T., 2007. International Briefing 18: Training and Development in Vietnam, International Journal of Training and Development, 11(2), 139–149.
Tran Khac Hoan. The combination of training at schools and enterprises to improve the quality of vocational training in Vietnam in this period . 2006
Tran Minh Duc. Education and Human Resourse Development in 21st. 2010 Tran Tien Khai . Methodology in Business Research. 2007
Vu Thi Phuong Oanh. Improving the quality of vocational training with method of strengthening the partnership between vocational schools and
enterprises. 2008
Wu Quanquan. Linkages between Vocational Education and Industry in China - The Current Environment. Proceedings of the International
Conference of Vietnamese General Directorate for Vocational Training, October 6, 2009, Hanoi, Vietnam
Zwick, T., 2006. The Impact of training intensity on the establishment of productivity. Industrial Relations, 45, 26−4