Students with an oil drilling simulator at Vũng Tàu Petroleum College, Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Cooperation with businesses in vocational training has been strengthened by colleges and schools in recent years, helping students access a real working environment and have job opportunities after graduation.

Trần Thành Đạt, a second-year student of the Faculty of Petroleum Equipment Operation in Vũng Tàu Petroleum College, Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province, said he chose this major because he would have a better chance of a job after finishing his studies.

He has access to modern models while studying at school and has been interning at local oil and gas enterprises as well as learning how to work in groups and perform engineering duties in the field.

First-year student of the oil and gas processing operation class, Nguyễn Quốc Thịnh, said he has access to equipment and simulators which offer realistic models.

"This helps me no longer be confused with the work in the future," Thịnh told Tin Tức (News) newspaper.

The lecturer of the school's simulation room, Lý Tòng Bá, said only this school is equipped with an advanced drilling simulator.

Even students in universities in Vũng Tàu and HCM Citiy have been sent here to learn how to control this simulator, which helps workers control and timely handle arising issues in reality.

Along with the engineering professions, the school also focuses on service occupations.

Hà Công Hải, a final-year student of Vũng Tàu Tourism College, majoring in food processing, said he has been doing internships at restaurants and hotels since his first year.

Students who intern at five-star hotels can experience high-class and professional services.

"I was guided on how to properly hold and use a knife, and how to cut and mix salad," said Hải.

College students soon find jobs thanks to early practical experiences.

Nguyễn Bảo Ân from Bến Tre, a graduate of Vũng tàu Petroleum College, has found a job recommended by the school at a local gas company.

“With the major in oil and gas operations, safety is always a top priority and this is also a knowledge that is regularly learned at the school. Enterprises highly appreciate the skills of vocational school students," said Ân.

Nguyễn Xuân Thìn, head of the production department of Vina Tak Co. Ltd., a Japanese company in HCM City, said he studied welding at Lilama2 International Technology College and received further training in automatic welding technology while working at the company.

"The company also accepts school students for internships and recruits them if they want to work at the company," Thìn said.

"Currently, 90 per cent of the workers working in the company's factory are students from the Lilama2 International Technology College.

"Based on the recruitment needs of the parent company in Japan, some workers will be selected to study techniques, improve skills and work in Japan."

Rector of Lilama 2 International Technology College Nguyễn Khánh Cường said graduate technicians need to have enough professional and soft skills.

The school has updated and built the programme to meet German standards in the fields of metal cutting mechanics, construction mechanics and industrial mechatronics. Currently, the human resources trained by the school not only meet the domestic market but also the foreign market, especially the German market.

"The school also innovates training programmes associated with businesses. In which, enterprises participate in developing the curriculum and marking in exam," the rector said.

Trần Duy Dũng, deputy chef of Hồ Tràm Grand Strip, said the unit has coordinated with a number of schools to accept students for internships.

They guide them from food hygiene to food preparation. They also participate in marking the graduation exam. Students will be accepted to work if they pass the exam.

Co-operating with businesses to train not only helps students gain experience early, but also creates opportunities for them to have jobs after graduation, according to the principal of Vũng Tàu Tourism College, Đinh Bích Diệp.

In the school year 2022-2023, the school has signed agreements with five-star hotels to create conditions for students to practise in the most professional environment.

A report from the General Department of Vocational Education said one of the successes last year was connecting many businesses with vocational schools in training.

Some schools signed cooperation agreements with 70-80 enterprises.

That was a good sign for the training towards more practice, less theory, the report said. — VNS