The Vocational College for Central Highlands Ethnic Minority Youths in Dak Lak province, one of 15 key vocational training schools in Vietnam, has trained tens of thousands of local students and young people of ethnic groups.
The diversification in multi-sector training services and the combination of school training and business practice have helped ethnic students prepare for the working environment after they graduate.
The ASIA Informatics Center is one of the most prestigious IT training facilities in Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak. The center’s director, Y Nuc Rahlan, a Jarai person, and his staff all graduated from the Central Highlands Vocational College for Ethnic Youth. Y Nuc said he owes his success to his teachers who insisted on the importance of academic study and practice.
He noted, “right from the beginning, the school’s teachers advised us what to do after graduation. Some students the teachers oriented to work in industrial zones. They taught some others how to start up a business. Although the knowledge gained from school is fundamental to future work, the key is applying the knowledge in real life.”
About 80% of graduates of the college have found jobs. Rahlan Von Ga, the college’s rector, said that to help trainees choose a field of study and find employment later, the school focuses its training on fields popular areas in the region: coffee and cocoa processing, construction techniques, computer repair, agricultural machinery, farming, forestry, and wood sculpture. The school has set up close links with businesses where trainees can intern and practice work skills.
According to Ga, the school has “a so-called Production, Services, and Business relationship department which is in charge of working with enterprises to help students get probationary positions and find jobs after graduation."
"We have signed cooperation agreements with about 100 businesses and other schools. We often invite enterprises to conduct recruitment interviews with graduates,” Ga shared.
Nguyen Thi Nu, an alumna of the college, is working for the Nam Truong Son Company which specializes in cocoa production. Good academic performance and industriousness led to Nu being recruited immediately after she completed a probation period at the company.
Concerning her and others’ success, she noted, “when we were in school, we had an opportunity to practice processing farm produce like coffee and cocoa at the company. The school and company have jointly enabled trainees to work and get experience for future employment.”
In addition to enrolling 3,000 full-time elementary, intermediate and college students, the school also offers 20 specialties, of which 5 have reached national standards, 10 southeast Asian standards, and 2 international standards.
The college is providing training for labor exports, and cooperative undergraduate programs in a number of fields, and conducts science research and transfer of technology.
Recently the college received US$6 million from the Korean International Cooperation Agency of Vietnam (KOICA) to upgrade its infrastructure and teaching facilities.
With the investment, the college will be able to renovate its vocational training to meet the needs of young people in the Central Highlands and become a qualified regional vocational training center.
