Nearly 22% or nearly 220,000 of the 2021 high school students (more than 1 million) who chose not to enroll in university after graduation. There are many more choices for senior high school students on their education as university is not the only route to success and to make it in life.

In 2021, students used their high school transcript as a way to be enrolled in many universities nationwide, except for the top schools in Viet Nam, due to the impact of COVID-19.

Since 2018, the announcement of the percentage of graduates from their schools that were employed in a job within one year of finishing their studies has been the mandatory requirement for Vietnamese universities when they develop their enrollment schemes. This is one of the good policies for Vietnamese universities to publicize their training quality, helping senior high school students choose their suitable schools for their future career path. This will also help them make the right career choice that will meet the demand in the current labour market and, as far as possible.

Local labour markets have a significant effect on enrollment rates by field in higher education institutions. In recent years, the banking and financial sector has been no longer a hot industry to be in with the saturation of the jobs related to this sector while faculties of shipbuilding, construction and others are facing enrollment challenges. Meanwhile, training programs in fields of mechanical engineering, automotive technology in junior colleges are very attractive to many high shool graduates.

Students enrol in universities in order to acquire knowledge, which enhances their future career prospects. For most people university is a worthwhile investment in a bright future.

However, with the rising cost of university and questionable career prospects awaiting university graduates, some are wondering if a university education is still worth it. The co- existence of unemployed university graduates, and employers who say they cannot find people with the skills they need has been reported in Da Nang, and Viet Nam as a whole. Therefore, senior high school students may also identify new opportunities for investment as there are many paths to success. They can attend vocational schools and career-focused colleges that can open up many many career opportunities.

Both vocational schools and career-focused colleges are great choices for driven students who are looking to get ahead in their careers. The challenge, however, lies in deciding on the educational path that best fits with their needs and job aspirations.

The type of school all 12^th graders choose will depend on their career interests, the educational approach they prefer, the requirements of their future employers, as well as their schedule needs.

Teaching career awareness and exploration is very important to senior high school students. Career awareness is an essential first step in building students’ understanding of the working world. Career awareness differentiates itself from career exploration and career clarity by introducing students to different job opportunities. It shows them options for their futures in a huge scope with the hope that each student will find a career that resonates with them in terms of interests, purpose, and inspiration. This career awareness and exploration activity helps students identify potential career choices and think about the steps needed for those careers.

Reporting by HA TRAN – Translating by H.L