Vocational training is no longer a backup plan
Hoang Tien Nam - a 12th grade student at a high school in Phuong Liet ward (Hanoi) - said that he and his family agreed and decided to register to study industrial robot system maintenance at a college in Hanoi instead of taking the business administration major of a university as previously planned.
Studying vocational college only takes 2 years, practicing 70% of the time, the school ensures that businesses have "ordered" personnel right from when I first enrolled, so I don't worry about jobs when I graduate" - Nam said.
Nam is not an isolated case. Currently, many high school students prioritize choosing majors based on "money-making ability" and "ability not to be replaced by AI".
Pham Tran Thanh Cong (Nga Son commune, Thanh Hoa) also decided to choose vocational training because his biological older brother is currently very successful after graduating from vocational school.
Cong said that his older brother graduated from metal cutting, currently working for a foreign-invested company in Quang Phu ward (Thanh Hoa) with a salary of more than 20 million VND. In particular, Cong's older brother did not have to apply for a job, was accepted for internship by the company, then paid internship and accepted to work immediately after graduation.
I will register to study vocational college in electrical engineering technology. According to my parents' analysis, the trend of using electric vehicles will be very common, this industry is not worried about job shortages" - Cong shared.
From the perspective of insiders, many students who are studying or graduated from vocational schools highly appreciate the practicality of the training program.
Nguyen Thi Quyen Trang (from Can Tho) - a student of course 18, Hotel Management major, Bac Viet Polytechnic College - just graduated with excellent grades throughout the course and quickly found a suitable job.
Quyen Trang shared that initially, she was oriented by her family to study Preschool Teachers, but she herself loved the hotel industry, which is both dynamic and opens up many career opportunities.
Right from the first school year, Trang worked part-time at hotels and restaurants, accumulating experience. Before graduating, she applied and was officially accepted to work at a hotel in the city center, with an income of more than 10 million VND/month and the opportunity to increase salary quickly.
According to Quyen Trang, being exposed to a real working environment helps me understand the requirements of businesses and train professional skills right from when I was in school.
Parents and students make realistic choices
Analyzing the shift in thinking of students and parents in choosing a career and choosing a school, Mr. Le Quang Trung - former Deputy Director in charge of the Department of Employment - said that students and parents are now much more practical.
Parents and students witness many cases of graduates with bachelor's degrees but having to work as shippers or office workers with salaries of about 8 million VND/month, while high-tech welders or refrigeration technicians can earn 15-20 million VND/month immediately after graduating from vocational schools. This is the "key" to changing thinking" - Mr. Trung said.
According to Mr. Tran Manh Thanh - Principal of Bach Khoa Bach Viet College HCMC - the pressure to enter university is still common, but the awareness of students and parents is gradually changing.
He said that the college system currently has many advantages in the context that the labor market needs human resources with practical skills. Short training time (2-3 years), lower costs than university, and closely linked to business needs.
In many industries such as automotive technology, tourism, nursing or aviation services, students can find jobs right from before graduation. Many businesses also cooperate with schools to support interns with salaries from 4-9 million VND/month, and even support accommodation.
Hot" industry associated with digital technology orientation, green economy
Talking to a reporter of Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Pham Xuan Khanh - Principal of Hanoi High-Tech Vocational College - said that due to market demand and changing learners' thinking, many majors at the school have increased sharply in enrollment. Compared to the 2024 - 2025 school year, in the 2026 - 2027 period, the metal cutting major increased by 142% (147 to 210), mechanical equipment maintenance from 7 to 60, computer drawing and design from 4 to 55.
According to Mr. Khanh, the mechanical and electrical - electronic industries currently have high and stable recruitment demand, playing a fundamental role in industrial production.
In fact, many businesses, including FDI companies from Taiwan (China), and large domestic corporations, are willing to sign training contracts, support costs and ensure jobs after graduation for learners.
In the context of economic and social streamlining of the apparatus, reducing the need to recruit civil servants and public employees, it is understandable that learners tend to switch to vocational training to quickly get jobs and income" - Mr. Khanh said.
According to statistics from Hanoi High-Tech Vocational College, in the period 2024 - 2025, many majors attract students such as automobile technology, electricity - electronics, software, tourism, beauty care, graphic design, animal husbandry and veterinary medicine.
Notably, industries that are supported with tuition fees and have high job opportunities such as industrial electricity, refrigeration and air conditioning engineering, metal cutting, mechanical and electronics, and mechanical engineering are chosen more.
Although the trend of "choosing a career instead of choosing a university" is booming, experts also warn: Vocational training is not a "shortcut" for laziness.
Many students think learning a trade is easy, but in reality, learning techniques requires discipline and very high self-learning ability. With the demands of the current labor market, workers must also know foreign languages to read machinery documents, must know how to use AI to optimize work. If they only learn the shell but lack the heart for the profession, they will also be eliminated as usual" - Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Lan - Chairwoman of Quang Trung Vocational Secondary School (Long Bien ward, Hanoi) - emphasized.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan Huong - former Director of the Institute of Labor Science and Social Affairs - believes that the "hot" industries in 2026 will be "realistic", associated with digital infrastructure and green economy.
Accordingly, 4 fields attracting learners include: Operation, electric vehicle repair - the "king" industry thanks to the energy transition trend; high-tech agriculture with the application of flying equipment, AI; beauty care, rehabilitation - professions that require skills and emotional intelligence; along with logistics, smart supply chains with great demand from e-commerce and attractive salaries.
