Students learn how to run a business from a business start-up model at an event held in HCM City. — VNA/VNS Photo An Hiếu

HCM CITY — The Government's Project 1665 for supporting students' start-ups until 2025 has created favourable conditions for students who want to start their own business, and attracted the participation of enterprises, investment funds, other investors, and organisations and individuals in the country and abroad.

Đỗ Năng Khánh, deputy general director of the Directorate of Vocational Education and Training, said this at a recent seminar held in HCM City on linking resources to enable vocational education students to develop a start-up spirit.

Part of the national start-up festival for students that opened in the city on November 23, the seminar attracted officials from local agencies and departments, business executives, representatives of vocational training institutions, and students with a passion for starting a business.

Project 1665 was approved by the Government in 2017 and implemented at all vocational training facilities nation-wide.

“It helps promote entrepreneurship and self-employment among students by equipping students with the basic knowledge and skills on how to start a business and find suitable jobs after graduating,” Khánh said.

Vũ Anh Tuấn, director of the Quang Trung Software Business Incubator Centre (QTSC Incubator), said the main reason why students from vocational schools face difficulties in starting a business is due to their traditional teaching model.

Students thus learn vocational skills passively, he said.

“Vocational education facilities need to change their thinking and switch to teaching innovation and entrepreneurship.”

The QTSC Incubator is willing and ready to share its experience in developing technology and business incubators, and support existing technology and business incubators, he said.

It has also organised meetings to discuss experiences, development strategies, training needs, and vocational skills, he added.

Hoàng Công Đoàn, chairman of the Việt Nam Start-up and Investment Club, said a big challenge for the labour market and vocational education facilities is to have a high-quality workforce that could adapt to industrialisation, modernisation and the Industry 4.0 taking place on a global scale.

Vocational education facilities need to co-ordinate with businesses and organisations to organise job fairs and seminars on developing start-ups with the participation of successful entrepreneurs and start-ups, he added.

Nguyễn Đức Minh, rector of the HCM City College of Foreign Economic Relations, said students at vocational training facilities do not have much time for in-depth research into entrepreneurship since their training courses are short, lasting only two to three years.

“It will be really difficult for students to be successful in business even if they have good start-up ideas.”

Trần Việt Anh, chairman and general director of Nam Thái Sơn Import-Export Joint Stock Company, said a lack of business experience and basic knowledge of business and capital management causes the failure of many start-ups.

“Students need to learn more about business administration and corporate governance before starting a business.”

National start-up festival for students

The first national start-up festival for students at vocational training facilities was organised by the Directorate of Vocational Education and Training in HCM City late last month.

Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam attended the event and praised the directorate and city’s efforts to create a forum for students.

Students aspiring to become entrepreneurs should accept the challenges and never give up because there is no easy route to success, he said.

“The greatest successes come from people having unique ideas." 

Participating in community activities could help students come up with business start-up ideas, he said.

They also need to proactively equip themselves with soft skills and digital skills besides professional knowledge learnt at school, he added.

The chairman of the city People’s Committee, Nguyễn Thành Phong, said more than VNĐ1 trillion (US$43.2 million) has been invested in key vocational training facilities in 2016 - 20 and another VNĐ2 trillion ($86.3 million) would be spent in the next five years.

The city refers to many successful start-up models around the world to promote start-up activities and create a complete start-up eco-system, he said.

In October construction began on the VNĐ300 billion ($13 million) Innovation and Start-up Centre, and it is expected to open in the second quarter of next year.

Its remit includes helping students achieve their start-up dreams. — VNS