Labor-utilizing entities are expected to witness a decline of approximately 14.4 percent in the demand for highly skilled workers with a university degree or higher over the next three years, and they will prioritize hiring professionals in specific technical and technological fields.
This data is based on a survey conducted in four provinces and cities in the Southeastern region. The survey, led by Associate Professor - Dr. Ho Quoc Bang, Deputy Head of the Training Department at Vietnam National University-HCMC (VNUHCMC), has recently released its findings to the public.
Prioritizing the "outputs" of prominent universities
Associate Professor - Dr. Ho Quoc Bang, the leader of a study on labor demand in the Southeastern region, has revealed that 67 percent of employers (1,779 employers were surveyed) expressed a preference for higher education institutions affiliated with the Vietnam National University-HCMC system. Among these institutions, the HCMC University of Technology stands out as the most sought-after in terms of personnel recruitment. In HCMC, the recruitment priority rate for this university is 24.3 percent, while in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, it is 21.8 percent. Similarly, in Binh Duong, the rate is 24.8 percent, and in Dong Nai, it is 25.7 percent.
Following are the University of Sciences-VNUHCMC and the University of Economics-Law, both having a personnel recruitment priority rate ranging from 14 percent to 17 percent. Notably, employers in HCMC, Binh Duong, and Dong Nai exhibit a higher inclination towards recruiting graduates from the University of Sciences compared to the University of Economics - Law, with differences ranging from 0.5 percent to 3 percent. Conversely, in the province of Ba Ria - Vung Tau, the trend is reversed. Additionally, employers also give preference to hiring graduates from other affiliated units of VNUHCMC.
For educational institutions outside the VNUHCMC system, the recruitment trends, based on the training backgrounds of prospective graduates, vary according to the field of activity. For instance, among the 59 higher education institutions in HCMC, excluding the six universities under the VNUHCMC, employers in the business-management sector give priority to recruiting personnel who have graduated from the University of Economics HCMC, the Foreign Trade University's Branch No.2 in HCMC, and other universities in the city. Conversely, in the technical and technological fields, employers primarily prefer hiring personnel who have graduated from the HCMC University of Technology and Education, the Industrial University of HCMC, and the University of Agriculture and Forestry.
Focusing on technical, technological personnel
The survey results also reveal a consistent trend in personnel recruitment over the past three years (2020-2022), analyzed based on the candidates' fields of study. Employers in the four provinces and cities of the Southeastern region primarily focus their recruitment efforts on the fields of technology and business management. Notably, HCMC and Binh Duong show a preference for recruiting personnel from the business management field over the technical field, while the reverse trend is observed in Ba Ria - Vung Tau and Dong Nai. Moreover, there is a notable inclination to prioritize the recruitment of personnel graduating from fields such as computer science - information technology, engineering and technology, law, manufacturing - processing, architecture - construction, and environment - environmental protection.
Associate Professor - Dr. Ho Quoc Bang has revealed that the personnel recruitment plans for the upcoming three years (2023-2025) by employers will primarily concentrate on fields such as business - management and technical, computer science - IT, engineering and technology, law, manufacturing - processing, architecture - construction, and environment - environmental protection.
According to survey data, the anticipated average number of personnel that 1,779 labor-utilizing entities plan to recruit is 79,327 individuals, focusing on the mentioned fields. Overall, the projection suggests a 14.4 percent reduction in the number of newly recruited personnel over the next three years compared to the recruitment figures of the past three years. Notably, the field experiencing the most significant decline is architecture and construction, with a decrease of 45.3 percent, followed by the arts, with a decrease of 30.4 percent, and the fields of mathematics and statistics, with a decrease of 30.1 percent.
However, some sectors see an uptick in recruitment demand. For instance, the field of education science and teacher training is expected to see a 4 percent growth rate, primarily in Dong Nai. Additionally, veterinary medicine is projecting a substantial increase of 7.2 percent. The technical field is anticipated to have the highest number of new recruits, with a total of 14,671 individuals. On the other hand, the arts field is expected to have the lowest recruitment figures, with only 563 individuals being hired. Furthermore, there is a significant demand for personnel in the fields of business - management, computer science - IT, engineering and technology, and manufacturing - processing, with each sector projecting over 5,000 new hires.
Based on the findings, a significant number of employers provide the following salary brackets for job seekers based on their educational qualifications: approximately VND5-10 million per month for individuals with a bachelor's degree and around VND10-20 million per month for those with a master's degree. As for candidates with a doctoral degree, employers in HCMC and Binh Duong generally propose a starting salary between VND15 million and VND20 million per month. However, in Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Dong Nai, most employers suggest starting salary ranges for these candidates that span from VND20 million to over VND30 million per month.
In the realm of hiring new employees, employers typically prioritize and assess candidates' attitudes over their specific skill sets. The general consensus is that candidates possess positive attitudes, but their skills and knowledge are only moderately evaluated. In terms of what employers desire in candidates, most prefer those with a positive attitude, highlighting traits like responsibility, honesty, loyalty, and a proactive mindset that embraces obstacles. When it comes to other skills, employers generally have a moderate level of expectation.
According to Assoc. Prof. - Dr. Ho Quoc Bang, the research project's results will offer educational institutions valuable knowledge on how to identify employers' needs and preferences. This understanding is vital for developing effective strategies that enhance training and promote skill development in graduating students, ensuring they possess the abilities employers seek. Therefore, it is essential to conduct a comprehensive study to assess educators' training requirements, enabling them to seamlessly integrate specialized skills into their teaching curriculum and lectures.
The government must formulate thorough strategies and forecasts to ensure continuous growth within the education industry in the coming years. By doing so, they will be able to effectively address the changing demands of various fields of study. Providing clear direction and career options for students who have completed high school is essential to maximize their potential and avoid wasting the resources that society has invested in their education.
