Career guidance in secondary education in Vietnam follows two tracks: (1) Career Orientation (CO) provided through specifically dedicated periods and extra-curricular activities; and (2) Information and Skills for Professions provided as part of the technology subject and as education of general professional (EGP) periods. EGP, as stated in MOET’s guideline, aims to equip students with necessary knowledge on professions and working skills and to create the opportunity for students to apply theory from technology subjects into practice in the sector of industry, agriculture, service and informatics. Through EGP, students are provided with a taster course that will help them orient their career and smoothen the transition from school to work.
Following plan 2013, VVOB Vietnam together with Quang Nam and Nghe An DOETs organised a workshop on development framework for the improvement of EGP toward student-centred career guidance on 6th July 2013 with following objectives:
- Come to a consensus on career guidance through EGP;
- Confirm the SWOT analysis of the EGP for career guidance;
- Define activities for improvement of EGP.
Thirty two managers and EGP teachers from Nghe An and Quang Nam DOETs, BOETs, CCOs and secondary education schools participated in the workshop. Participants reflected and shared their ideas stimulated by a session “lego serious play”. Aside from discussions, there were presentations of current situation of EGP toward student–centred career guidance in the two provinces, experiences on EGP from New Zealand and career guidance theories which related to EGP. Armed with this extra knowledge, participants reflected on:
- the content of EGP material and
- advantages and disadvantages of changes in EGP.
All participants agreed that it is necessary to add career guidance theories and approach in implementation of the EGP. Following five issues should be considered:
- EGP material that includes career guidance;
- Career guidance capacity of EGP teachers;
- Steering, monitoring and evaluation from higher level on EGP implementation;
- Requirement on career guidance capacity of the students after EGP;
- Right understanding on purposes of EGP from teachers, students and parents. The workshop also resulted in proposals for important factors of effective EGP and requirements for a revised EGP.
