Reality from this year shows that many 12th grade students no longer prioritize going to university. They choose to study vocational colleges, in engineering, service or technology majors, which can participate in the labor market early, with stable income. Many cases are "ordered" by businesses from when they are still in school, helping to significantly reduce the risk of unemployment after graduation.
This change of learners stems from the actual needs of the labor market itself. When businesses increasingly need workers with practical skills, who can work immediately, training programs that are heavily theoretical and far from reality gradually reveal limitations. Meanwhile, technical professions such as mechanics, electrical - electronics, logistics or services open up clearer job opportunities, with competitive income levels.
As the door to choice is increasingly wide open, the important issue is the output of schools. If the training program is slow to innovate and does not keep up with market demand, even if teachers and students study in depth, it will still be difficult to find suitable jobs. Conversely, training institutions that are closely linked with businesses, update new technologies, and strengthen practice will become attractive destinations, attracting learners.
This forces schools to return to a "truth" that has been mentioned for decades but has not been implemented much, which is that schools cannot continue to teach what they have, but are forced to teach what the market needs.
Teaching what the market needs is not just simply supplementing and opening a few more "hot" majors. But it must go hand in hand with changing training methods, from "lecture - copy" to "work - experience", from assessing through scores to assessing by real ability. If only new names are added but the teaching method is still old, heavily theoretical, lacking practical experience, then the new major will also quickly become outdated.
In the context of technology, especially artificial intelligence, rapidly changing the way of working in many fields, this requirement becomes even more urgent. Learners not only need professional skills but also must be able to adapt, continuously update knowledge, and use technology to improve work efficiency.
It can be seen that education is entering a period of movement where learners become more practical and proactive in choosing a career. And businesses are setting higher requirements for skills and capacity.
If there is no innovation, learners will not come, even leave. In the right direction of innovation, training institutions not only meet immediate needs but can also "take shortcuts", preparing human resources for future market demands.
