Vietnamese higher education and the issue of enhancing graduate employability
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21153/jtlge2012vol3no1art554Keywords:
higher education, graduate employability, Vietnam, Western countriesAbstract
The rapid change in the graduate labour market in the globalizing era calls for responsiveness from the higher education systems all over the world. Enhancing graduate employability has become a topic of both concern and debate in higher education worldwide. However, the issue is somehow different in Western developed countries and in Eastern developing countries in terms of the way higher education teaching staff perceive the issues, the way universities approach the issues and also the way university practices have been designed to enhance graduate employability. This article aims to illustrate the differences by addressing the issue of enhancing graduate employability in Vietnam compared with that in the literature from developed countries such as the United States of America (USA), the United Kingdom (UK), Australia and New Zealand. It is suggested that while not all academics in Western higher education systems support the idea of accepting enhancing graduate employability as one of the university missions, their teaching practices, in general, support the development of graduate generic attributes, which are claimed to be essential and necessary for graduates to enter the labour market, to succeed at work and in life. By contrast, in the Vietnamese higher education system, where the main mission for universities is still limited to producing an educated labour force for industry, however, the traditional teaching and learning method and the lack of connections between university, research institutions and the internal industry all hinder the effort of the whole system in preparing students with the necessary skills and knowledge required by the contemporary labour market.
Metrics
References
Arthur, M. & Rousseau, D. (1996). The boundaryless career: A new employment principle for a new organizational era. New York: Oxford University Press.
Bates, I. (1999). The competence and outcomes movement: The landscape of research. In F. Flude & S. Sieminski (Eds.), Education, training and the future of work II (pp. 99-123). London: Routledge in association with the Open University.
Bennett, N., Dunne, E., & Carre´, C. (1999). Patterns of core and generic skill provision in higher education. Higher Education, 37 (1), 71-93.
Bhanugopan, R., & Fish, A. (2009). Achieving graduate employability through consensus in the South Pacific island nation. Education and Training, 51(2), 108-123.
Billett, S. (2009). Realising the Educational Worth of Integrating Work Experiences in Higher Education. Studies in Higher Education, 34(7), 827-843.
Capelli, P. (1999). The new deal at work. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Cascio, W. F. (1993). Downsizing: what do we know, what have we learned? Academy of Management Executive, 7(1), 95-104.
Chapple, M., & Tolley, H. (2000). Embedding key skills in a traditional university. In S. Fallows & C. Steven (Eds.), Integrating key skills in higher education. London: Kogan Page Limited.
Clarke, M. (2007). Understanding and managing employability in changing career contexts. Journal of European Industrial, 32(4), 258-284.
Clarke, M. (2008). Plodders, pragmatists, visionaries and opportunists: career patterns and employability. Career development International, 14(1), 8-28.
Clarke, M. , & Patrickson, M. (2008). The new covenant of employability. Employee Relations, 30(2), 121-141.
Cohen, L., & Mallon, M. (1999). The transition from organisational employment to portfolio working: perceptions of „boundarylessness‟. Work, Employment and Society, 13(2), 329-352.
Connell, R. (2007). Southern theory: the global dynamics of knowledge in social science. Crows Nest, NSW: Southwood Press.
Cox, S., & King, D. (2006). Skill Sets: An approach to embed employability in course design. Education and Training, 48(4), 262-274.
Cranmer, S. (2006). Enhancing graduate employability: Best intentions and mixed outcomes. Studies in Higher Education, 31(2), 169 - 184.
Crossman, J. E., & Clarke, M. (2009). International experience and graduate employability: stakeholder perceptions on the connect. Higher Education, 59 (5), 599-613.
Dapice, D., Perkins, D., Nguyen X. T., Vu T.T. A., Huynh T. D., Pincus, J., & Saich, T. (2008). Choosing success: The lessons of East and Southeast Asia and Vietnam’s future. Cambridge: Harvard University.
DeFillippi, R. J., & Arthur, M. (1994). The boundaryless career: a competency-based career perspective. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 15(4), 307-324.
Elias, P., & Purcell, K. (2004). A classification of occupations for studying the graduate labour market. Research paper No 6. March 2004. Employment Studies Research Unit: University of West of England and Warwick Institute of Employment Research.
Evans, K., & Rorris, A. (2010). Optimising the impact of Vietnam's higher education sector on socio-economic development. In G. Harman, M. Hayden & Pham Thanh Nghi (Eds.), Reforming higher education in Vietnam; Challenges and priorities (pp. 167-182). London: Springer.
Fallows, S., & Steven, C. (2000). Embedding a skills programme for all students. In S. Fallows & C. Steven (Eds.), Integrating key skills in higher education. London: Kogan Page Limited.
Fatseas, M. (2010). Research-industry cooperation supporting development in Vietnam: the challenge of translating policy into practice. In G. Harman, M. Hayden & Pham Thanh Nghi (Eds.), Reforming higher education in Vietnam; Challenges and priorities (pp. 103-116). London: Springer.
Flowerdew, J., & Miller, L. (1995). On the notion of culture in L2 lectures. TESOL Quarterly, 29(2), 345-373.
Fugate, M., Kinicki, A. J., & Ashforth, B. E. (2004). Employability: A psycho-social construct, its dimensions, and applications. Journal of Vocational Behaviour, 65 (1), 14-38.
General Statistics Office of Vietnam. (2008). The real situation of enterprises. Hanoi.
General Statistics Office of Vietnam. (2012). Higher education statistics. Retrieved 20 August, 2012, from http://www.gso.gov.vn/default.aspx?tabid=395&idmid=3&ItemID=11406
George, E. S. (2010). Higher education in Vietnam 1986-1998: Education in transition to a new era? . In G. Harman, M. Hayden & Pham Thanh Nghi (Eds.), Reforming higher education in Vietnam; Challenges and priorities (pp. 31-50). London: Springer.
Hall, D. T. (1996). Protean careers in the 21st century. Academy of Management Executive, 10 (4), 8-16.
Handy, C. B. (1994). The empty raincoat: Making sense of the future. London: Hutchinson.
Harman, G., Hayden, M. & Pham T. N. (2010). Higher education in Vietnam: Reform, challenges and priority. . In G. Harman, M. Hayden & Pham Thanh Nghi (Eds.), Reforming higher education in Vietnam; Challenges and priorities (pp. 1-13). London: Springer.
Harman, G., & Nguyen T.B.N.(2010). The research role's of Vietnam's universities. In G. Harman, M. Hayden & Pham Thanh Nghi (Eds.), Reforming higher education in Vietnam: Challenges and priorities (pp. 87-102). London: Springer.
Harman, K., & Nguyen T.N. B. (2010). Reforming teaching and learning in Vietnam's higher education system. In G. Harman, M. Hayden & Pham Thanh Nghi (Eds.), Reforming higher education in Vietnam: Challenges and priorities (pp. 65-86). London: Springer.
Harvey, L. (2000). New realities: The relationship between higher education and employment. Tertiary Education and Management, 6(1), 3-17.
Harvey, L. (2005). Embedding and integrating employability. New Directions for Institutional Research, 2005(128), 13-28.
Hayden, M., & Lam Q. T. (2010). Vietnam's higher education system. In G. Harman, M. Hayden & Pham Thanh Nghi (Eds.), Reforming higher education in Vietnam: Challenges and priorities (pp. 15-30). London: Springer.
Hillage, J., & Pollard, E. (1998). Employability: Developing a framework for policy analysis. London: Department for Education and Employment.
Hind, P. (2005). Making room for career change. Career Development International, 10(4), 268-274.
Hoang T. (2009). Educational crisis: Reasons and solutions in globalization challenges. Ho Chi Minh city: Centre for International Education, Culture Exchange and Research.
Holland, S. (2006). Synthesis: A lifelong learning framework for graduate attributes. In P. Hager & S. Holland (Eds.), Graduate attributes, learning and employability. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer.
Junghagen, S. (2005). Working with business and industry to enhance curriculum development and student employability. New Directions for Institutional Research, 2005 (128), 69-81.
Knight, P., & Yorke, M. (2004). Learning, curriculum and employability in higher education. London: Routledge Falmer.
Mallon, M. (1998). The portfolio career: pushed or pulled to it? Personnel Review, 27(5), 361-377.
Mason, G., William, G., & Cranmer, S. (2009). Employability skills initiatives in higher education: what effects do they have on graduate labour market outcomes? Education Economics, 17(1), 1-30.
McKnight, A. (1999). Graduate employability and performance indicators: First destinations and beyond. In P. Elias, A. McKnight, K. Purcell & J. Pitcher (Eds.), Moving On: graduate careers three years after graduation (pp. 24-50). Manchester: Careers Services Unit.
McQuaid, R. W. (2006). Job search success and employability in local labor markets. The Annals of Regional Science, 40, 407-421.
McQuaid, R. W., & Lindsay, C. (2005). The concept of employability. Urban Studies, 42 (2), 197-219.
Ministry of Education and Training (MOET). (1995). Vietnam education and training directory. Hanoi: Education Publisher.
Mirvis, P. M., & Hall, D. T. (1996). New organizational forms and the new career. In Hall, D. T. (Ed.), The career is dead - Long live the career (pp. 72-101). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Morley, L. (2001). Producing new workers: Quality, equality and employability in higher education. Quality in Higher Education, 7(2), 131-138.
Nguyen L. (2006). Vietnam's education in the transitional period. Paper presented at the 28th Human Resources Development Working Group Meeting.
Nguyen M. H. (2005). Renovation in higher education in Vietnam - Integration and challenge. Hanoi: Ministry of Education and Training (MOET).
Nguyen P-M, Terlouw, C., & Pilot, A. (2005). Cooperative learning vs Confucian Heritage Culture's collectivism: Confrontation to reveal some cultural conflicts and mismatch. Asia Europe Journal, 3(3), 403-419.
Nguyen T. N. (2007, 3 Dec. 2007). Strategic choices for Vietnam's higher education. Paper presented at the Strategic Choices for Higher Education Reform, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Nguyen T. H. (2002). Vietnam: Cultural background for ESL/EFL teachers. Review of Vietnamese Studies, 2(1), 1-6
O'Dwyer, S. (2006). The English teacher: a facilitator and authority. The Electronic Journal for English as a Second Language (TESL-EJ), 9(4), 1-15.
Peiperl, M., & Baruch, Y. (1997). Back to square zero: the post-corporate career. Organizational Dynamics, 25 (4) (7-22).
Pham L. H, & Fry, G. W. (2004). Education and economic , political, and social change in Vietnam. Educational Research for Policy and Practice 3(3), 199-222.
Pham M. H. (1998). Vietnam's education: The current position and future prospects. Hanoi: The Gioi Publisher.
Pham T. N. (2010). The higher education agenda: A vision for 2020. In G. Harman, M. Hayden & Pham Thanh Nghi (Eds.), Reforming higher education in Vietnam: Challenges and priorities(pp. 51-64). London: Springer.
Pham T. H. (2008). Higher education in Vietnam: A look from labour market angle. Hanoi: Vietnam Development Forum.
Phan L. H. (2008). Teaching english as an international language: Identity, resistance and negotiation. Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters Ltd.
Pool, L. D., & Sewell, P. (2007). The key to employability: developing a practical model of graduate employability. Education and Training, 49(4), 277-289.
Rae, D. (2004). Practical theories from entrepreneurs‟ stories: discursive approaches to entrepreneurial learning. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 11(2), 195-202.
Rae, D. (2007). Connecting enterprise and graduate employability. Education and Training, 49(8/9), 605-619.
Sanders, J., & de Grip, A. (2004). Training, task flexibility and the employability of low-skilled workers. International Journal of Manpower, 25(1), 73-89.
Shah, A., Pell, K., & Brooks, P. (2004). Beyond first destinations. Active learning in higher education, 5(1), 9-26.
Smith, J., Knight, A., & Naylor, R. (2000). Graduate employability: Policy and performance in Higher Education in the UK. Economic Journal 110(464), 382-411.
Smith, L., & Nguyen Q. D. (2010). Processes for Strategic Planning in Vietnam's Higher Education System. In G. Harman, M. Hayden & Pham Thanh Nghi (Eds.), Reforming higher education in Vietnam: Challenges and prioirities. (pp. 143-154). London: Springer.
Stephen, W., Doughty, P., Gray, P. J., Hopcroft, J. E., & Silvera, I. F. (2006). Observations on undergraduade education in computer science, electrical engineering, and physics at select universities in Vietnam. Washington: Vietnam Education Foundation.
Ta T. A., & Winter, R. (2010). Processes of modernization in two public universities in Vietnam: University managers' perspectives. In G. Harman, M. Hayden & Pham Thanh Nghi (Eds.), Reforming higher education in Vietnam: Challenges and priorities. (pp. 155-166). London: Springer.
The Association of Graduate Recruiters. (2009). Skills for graduates in the 21st century. Retrieved 12 April 2010, from http://www.funkygrad.com/ratedserious/displayarticle.php?artID=202&subcat=career
Thompson, J. (2009). Changing chalk and talk: The reform of teaching methods in Vietnamese higher education. Unpublished independent study project paper. Washington D.C.: The George Washington University.
Tomlinson, M. (2008). 'The degree is not enough': students' perceptions of the role of higher education credentials for graduate work and employability. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 29(1), 49-61.
Tran H. (1999). Vietnamese higher education: In search of an identity. International Higher Education, 15(3), 20-22.
Tran N. C. (2006). Universities as drivers of the urban economies in Asia: The case of Vietnam. Policy Research Working Paper: Washington, D.C.: World Bank.
Tran Q. T, & Swierczek, F. W. (2009). Skills development in higher education in Vietnam. Asia Pacific Business Review, 15(4), 565-586.
Tran T. T. (2010a). Decentralization in higher education in Vietnam: Some practical issues. Paper presented at the Decentralization in Higher Education from a Global Perspective: Implication for Vietnam and the Region, Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam.
Tran T. T. (2010b). Enhancing graduate employability: Challenges facing higher education in Vietnam. Paper presented at the The 14th UNESCO-APEID International Conference: Education for Human Resource Development, Bangkok, Thailand.
Tran T. T. (2010c). Enhancing graduate employability: International context versus Vietnamese context. Paper presented at the 4th International Graduate Conference in Social Sciences and Management, Bradford, UK.
Tran T. T. (2012). Is the learning approach of students from the Confucian heritage culture problematic? Education Research for Policy and Practice. DOI 10.1007/s10671-012-9131-3.
Tran T.T., & White, J. (2012). Managed universities: Vietnam and the West. In M. Vicars, T. McKenna & J. White (Eds.), Discourse, power and resistance down under. (pp. 151-160). Rotterdam: Sense.
Van Buren III, H. J. (2003). Boundaryless careers and employability obligations. Business Ethics Quarterly, 13(2), 131-149.
Vu N.H. (2009). Recognising challenges, opportunities and requirements for Vietnam education in globalizing era (Nhận diện thách thức, cơ hội, và yêu cầu đối với giáo dục Việt nam trong bối cảnh toàn cầu hóa). Paper presented at the Comparative Education Conference, Ho Chi Minh city.
Vu N.H., Dang B. L., & Tran K. D. (2007). Vietnam education: Renovation and development (Giáo Dục Việt Nam: Đổi mới và Phát triển Hiện đại hóa). Ho Chi Minh city: Giao Duc publication.
Vu Q.V. (2008). Vietnamese education: Downgrade causes and the necesary renovations (Giáo Dục Việt Nam: Nguyên nhân của sự xuống cấp và các cải cách cần thiết). Thoi Dai Moi, 13(3), 18.
Yorke, M. (2006). Employability in higher education: What it is - What it is not (Vol. 1). York: The Higher Education Academy.
Yorke, M., & Knight, P. (2004). Embedding employability into the curriculum. York: Higher Education Academy.
Legislation
The Education Law, Law number 38/2005/QH11 (2005). (The National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Legislature XI, Hanoi). Retrieved from: http://en.moet.gov.vn/?page=8.8&view=5101
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
How to Cite
