Not only are these concerns of high school seniors, now, from grade 9, students have begun to ask questions about what to study, what to do, and how to orient their future in a way that is appropriate to their abilities, passions, and family circumstances...
The Pressure of Generation Z
Born into an era of booming technology and a constantly changing labor market, Generation Z has more support in terms of learning conditions as well as access to a variety of knowledge and skills via the internet. However, on the other hand, they are also facing great pressure when having to make important career decisions at a very early age, along with challenges specific to their generation.
In recent years, right from the last years of secondary school, students have had to face the challenge of defining their jobs and career goals. Many students who have just turned 14 have had to think about making a choice: "Which major is suitable for me to bring success and happiness to the future?"
The pressure of having to enter prestigious schools according to the wishes and expectations of family and teachers, or the pressure of comparison with peers has created a great burden. Many students feel confused and lost among a series of choices, not knowing which path to follow. On the other hand, the emergence of many types of training such as colleges, intermediate schools, and short-term vocational training programs also opens up more opportunities, but at the same time requires students to make decisions early to have the best preparation.
Khac Duy, a 9th grader in Can Tho, shared: "I see many people who graduated from university still have a hard time finding a job. I don't want to follow in their footsteps." Hai Yen, a 9th grader in Kien Giang, always dreamed of working in large hotels in Can Tho, but with an average academic ability, she realized that 9+ college was a more suitable choice for her abilities instead of trying to spend 3 years to continue high school to have the opportunity to enter a prestigious university. "I'm afraid of failing the exam, afraid of disappointing my parents, afraid of spending a lot of money on food, accommodation and tuition for 4 years of university... I think I need to finish 2 years of intermediate school to have a job that can support myself, then I will continue to study at higher levels" - Hai Yen confided.
Be proactive in early orientation
Generation Z’s determination and early recognition of their goals is a positive step forward, demonstrating maturity and initiative in shaping their future. However, at such a young age, they need the companionship and support of family, school and society to make wise decisions.
The increasingly developed society requires a diverse workforce to meet the strict requirements of businesses. In the context of increasingly fierce competition, many young people and their families realize that having a suitable job with a good income requires early preparation and orientation.
MSc. Ung Thi Trang, Vice Principal of Can Tho Vietnam-USA College, commented: "The important issue now is to promote the dissemination of the formality of the 9+ College training type and to orient learners to have more basis to recognize their own strengths, qualities, family economic conditions and recruitment trends of enterprises so that they can always proactively make appropriate career choices between personal abilities, passions and the actual recruitment needs of society."
Career orientation for students after completing secondary school is a big challenge. At the age of 14, 15, they are still in the stage of cognitive and thinking development, completely different from those who have graduated from high school. Supporting them to make suitable career choices requires companionship, listening and deep understanding from the family and school. This is a process that requires a lot of dedication, aiming to balance personal passion, student's ability, family's wishes and the actual needs of society, helping them confidently make the right decision.
“To help young students, especially Generation Z, succeed, mature, become skilled and have a job in their field after graduation, we have built a training roadmap to help them balance between studying culture and practicing professional skills. In addition to studying, students also need to participate in extracurricular activities, experiences, and internship programs to have the opportunity to be exposed to the real working environment, thereby better understanding themselves and what they want” - MSc. Vo Thi Thu Hang - Head of the Design Department of Vietnam - USA College shared.
In that context, improving the quality of training towards the goal of employment output, many high-quality colleges promote many practical learning activities, equip practical experience, create a "real-life" environment, improve creativity and develop soft skills for learners. Training programs such as the 9+ system at colleges have helped students have more choices, especially for those who are oriented towards "Practical learning - Practical work" and want to meet the strict recruitment criteria of businesses.
In the West, Can Tho Vietnam-USA College is one of the pioneers in providing a variety of training programs (from 9+ to full-time), with many different professions. The school cooperates with more than 300 prestigious businesses, creating conditions for students to interact and learn practical experience right from the first year. The companionship of lecturers during the learning and job-seeking process helps students have high employment opportunities after graduation.
Generation Z is writing its own story, a story of diversity in career choices and perseverance in pursuing what suits them and the needs of society. And only when equipped with adequate professional knowledge, cultural knowledge and adaptive skills, will they certainly contribute and develop themselves to be worthy of the expectations of their families, teachers, businesses and contribute value to the community in the future.
