HCM CITY – As many as 30,000 students, parents and teachers from HCM City and nearby provinces attended an enrolment and career guidance event held on Sunday at HCM City University of Technology.

The event, in its 17th year, was held by the Ministry of Education and Training’s Department of Tertiary Education, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs’ Directorate of Vocational Education and Training, and Tuổi Trẻ newspaper.

Around 150 universities, colleges, vocational schools and consultancy services appeared at the event, with over 200 stalls. Some stalls featured equipment and demonstrations to help students understand the fields in which they might be interested.

Nguyễn Thị Kim Phụng, general director of the Department of Tertiary Education, said the ministry’s officials offered career guidance to students, and answered questions about entrance exams and how to choose a university and career.

Universities and other educational establishments informed students of their admission requirements and spoke about possible future career paths.

Đinh Bảo Duy, a 12th grader who is considering a career in medicine and pharmacy, information technology or logistics, said the event was useful for gathering information about different universities, while Nguyễn Tăng Hảo, a 12th grader who is interested in IT, said the consultancy helped him think more deeply about his career path.

A representative of the HCM City University of Technology noted that many students were interested in logistics, information technologies and supply chains, and that university is the go-to choice for students who qualify and whose families are financially capable.

Trương Anh Dũng, deputy general director of the Directorate of Vocational Education and Training, said: “Studying at university is a good choice as our country is in need of high quality bachelor’s degree recipients and engineers. However, vocational education is also good as Việt Nam also needs a skilled workforce.”

The demand for workers in mechatronics, car technology and welding is expected to increase significantly, according to the Directorate of Vocational Education and Training. — VNS