Tiến Sĩ Assessment of capability, knowledge and skill of vocational school graduates A basis for enhanced in

Luận án tiến sĩ năm 2013
Đề tài: Assessment of capability, knowledge and skill of vocational school graduates: A basis for enhanced industry-academe cooperation
Đánh giá năng lực, kiến thức và kỹ năng sinh viên tốt nghiệp các trường nghề: Cơ sở phát triển hợp tác đào tạo giữa trường nghề và doanh nghiệp
Luận án được trình bày bằng tiếng Anh


TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT . i
DEED OF DECLARATION ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS iii
ABSTRACT . v
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS vii
LIST OF TABLES viii
LIST OF FIGURES x
RATING SHEET xi
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1
1.1. Background . 1
1.2. Problem Statement 2
1.3. Reseach Objectives 3
1.4. Research Questions . 3
1.5. Hypotheses 4
1.6. Scope and Limitation of the Study . 5
1.7. Reseach Definitions . 6
1.8. Significance of the Study . 6
1.9. Structure of the Study 7
1.10. Conclusion 8
CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES . 9
2.1. International related research . 9
2.2. National related research . 10
2.3. Theoretical and conceptual framework 11
2.4. Analysing framework 22
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY . 24
3.1. Research design . 24
3.2. Determination of sample 25
3.3. Research instrument 29
3.4. Data gathering procedure . 34
3.5. Data processing method . 34
3.6. Evaluation the reliability of scales . 42
3.7. Statistical treatment . 43
CHAPTER IV: PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA . 46
4.1. Characteristics of the survey sample 46
4.2. Enterprises’ assessment of the knowledge, skills and capabilities to work of graduates
from vocational schools 48
4.3. Assessment of conditions ensuring the quality of vocational training in vocationa l schools 56
iv
4.4. Forms of cooperating activities currently organized at vocational schools 60
4.5. Benefits of cooperation according to the assessment of enterprises and vocational schools 63
4.6. The influence of cooperating programs on the knowledge and skills of vocational school students . 65
4.7. Cooperating programs that enterprises expect/desire to participate . 67
4.8. Factors hindering cooperation 69
4.9. Accreditation of the relationship between the variables/factors 70
4. 10. Construction of regressional function to analyse the relationship between factors . 73
CHAPTER V: SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS75
5.1. Findings of study . 75
5.2. Accreditation of the hypotheses . 77
5.3. The relationship between factors and the development of school -enterprise
cooperating programs . 78
5.4. Proposals for the development of programs collaboration school - industry . 78
5.5. Conclusion 81
REFERENCES . 82


ABSTRACT
In Vietnam, t he quality of vocational training has not yet met the actual requirement s
of the enterprises. One of the causes of this situation goes to the lack of efficient and close
cooperation between vocational schools and enterprises.
With the use of interview, survey and collection of expert opinions, the author has
conducted a study on a sample of 233 enterprises for their comments on the knowledge and
skills of graduates (majoring either in Mechanics or Electrics/ Electronics). A sample of some
vocational schools has also been on research about the conditions to ensure the quality of
vocational training. The author has also studied some current school-industry cooperation
programs and their impact on the knowledge and skills of vocational school graduates. On
completion of the dissertation, the author has collected and analysed the opinions from both
sides, schools and businesses, about the benefits of cooperation, the factors hindering the
development of cooperation and the desire/willingness of the enterprises to cooperate with
schools. From the research and analysis of the opinions of both sides, the author has also
proposed some solutions to the development of cooperating programs in order to improve the
quality of vocational training (in terms of the knowledge and skills of graduates).
Followings are new findings of the dissertation through research:
1. The capability, knowledge and skills of graduates from vocational schools do not meet
the requirements of the job. Businesses deliver the lowest assessment for such skills as
organizing in production, communicating, team-working and problem-solving. This situation
also applies for graduates’ knowledge and skills in statistics, English, CNC, PIC, PLC
programming, electric/electronic circuit designing and modern equipment operating.
2. Current conditions at schools affecting capability , knowledge and skills of graduates
include factors that insure quality of vocational training. Among these factors, the shortage of
updated training content and teachers visiting business environment as well as the lack in
quality and quantity of technology equipment are most concerned.
3. There are three (03) groups of cooperating program between vocational schools and
businesses, namely information exchange, resources supply and exchange, and vocational
training plan design. Arrangement of internship for students at businesses is the most popular
and most regular industry -academy cooperating activity. Other activities are also done to
encourage cooperation yet not often.
vi
4. Businesses and vocational schools share similar opinions about the benefits of
cooperation in training. Cooperation has a positive impact on knowledge and skills of
vocational students. Enterprises are willing to participate in cooperating programs with
vocational schools.
5. Factors hindering industry-academy cooperation in vocational training include a weak
mechanism to encourage/force the cooperation, the lack of information about partners and the
fact that one party does not assure the interests of the partner.
6. On the basis of the research findings, dissertation proposes some solutions to enhance
industry -academy cooperation and to improve the capability, knowledge and skills of
vocational students.


CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background
“Rapid development of human resources, especially high-quality human resources is
the breakthrough of the country for 2011-2020” (Strategy of Vietnam socio-economic
development from 2011 to 2020). “Human resources are the foundation and the most
important advantage to develop the country in a sustainable way” (Strategy of Vietnam
human resources development for 2011-2020).
“Education and training is the determinant of human resources’ quality”. But “the
quality of education is low in comparison with requirement of the country ’s development in
the new period ; professional capacity of graduates has not met job requirement” (Strategy
for development of education and training for 2011-2020).
“Attracting businesses to participate heavily in human resources development”,
“Building regulations, mechanisms and policies to promote cohesion between training
institution and businesses, expanding forms of training according to the orders of the business
and attracting enterprises to participate more in human resources training, as well as
institutionalizing the responsibility of businesses in human resources development” (Strategy
of Vietnam human resources development for 2011-2020).
“The current quality of training institutions has not really met the need of the labor
market. There are many factors affecting training quality of schools. A major cause is the
relationship between schools and businesses in the area of education has not been concerned
in a highly effective way. The participation of enterprises in the training process is very
limited” (MOIT, 2011).
Although the recent development of the educational scale at vocational training levels
better meets people’s learning needs, its quality does not satisfy the national socio-economic
development requirements and is lower than that of many other countries in the region and
over the world. Vocational training quality is still poor compared with the company demand
in the new age (Thang & Huy, 2012). Vocational education does not receive appropriate
attention. Specialization in the vocational training is not well implemented. For instance, the
higher education size as well as the number of colleges and universities has developed rapidly
while their human resources and physical facilities remain too limited to ensure high quality,
making it impossible to meet social demand.
2
Therefore, a breakthrough in vocational education is needed to increase trained labor
force. The vocational education system will be restructured and associated with real needs and
practical labour use. It helps create local jobs, contributes to economic structure transfer, and
labour restructuring in rural areas, thus contributing to poverty reduction. In other words,
vocational training is closely connected to production and business labour use.
Currently, t here are 32 vocational schools under MOIT. Almost all of them supply
many kinds of courses at many levels, from certificate to university degree. In 2012, with the
total of 450,000 students, the number of newly -admitted students are 210,000, graduates are
150,000 (MOIT, 2012). However, training quality is very limited and can hardly enable
trainees to handle new technology, national development demand and enterprises. According
to survey results of JICA project in Vietnam with the enterprises’ feedbacks/comments on the
graduates from some vocational schools under MOIT on such criteria as knowledge, technical
skills, attitudes at work, it is recognized that there are many criteria that have not fully
satisfied the expectations of enterprises (under 3 points – Using 5-point Likert’s Scale). One
of the main reasons is that vocational schools and enterprises are not very well cooperated
with each other. In fact, enterprises are seldom allowed to take part in some stages of
vocational training such as indentifying the right jobs for training, designing curriculum,
coordinating internship for trainees, etc.
In this context, I have selected the topic: “Assessment of capability, knowledge and
skill of vocational school graduates: A basis for enhanced industry-academe
cooperation” as thesis topic for DBA course. As a vice rector of a professional university –
Hanoi University of Industry, the author has recognized that research on the topic is realistic.
The research results will not only help the university to overcome the above problem but also
provide a basis for solutions for the improvements of vocational training quality in Vietnam
To collect data for this study, I have implemented a survey with sample of vocational training
colleges under Vietnam Ministry of Industry and Trade and an other ministry . In addition, I
have also carried out another survey with sample of enterprises in order to get their feedbacks
on quality of graduates from vocational training schools.
1.2. Problem Statement
The current quality of graduates from vocational schools under MOIT has not really
met the needs of the labor market. One of the major factors affecting the quality of graduates
lies in an uneffective cooperation between schools and businesses and a limited participation
of enterprises in the training process.
3
The objective of this research is to improve school – enterprise program collaboration
in enhancing skills and knowledge of vocational school graduates.
1.3. Reseach Objectives
This study explores the phenomena of collaboration between enterprises and
vocational training schools in the context of economic and educational reforms in Vietnam. I
analyse the phenomena of cooperation between enterprises and vocational training schools
over recent years in Vietnam, particularly the issues and problems of training in vocational
schools, and supplying quality human resourses for production in enterprises. I also propose
some solutions to deal with problems happening in vocational schools in general and Hanoi
University of Industry in specific. The result of this study provides more evidence for
cooperation between enterprises and vocational training schools, and contributes to the
growing literature in education, labor economics and human resources management by using
the specific Vietnamese case. The study tries to fill the gap of research on cooperation
between enterprises and vocational training schools in Vietnam.
With these issues in mind, I conducted this research with four overall objectives: (1) to
advance understanding of the cooperation between enterprises and vocational training schools
and confirm the fact that th e cooperation is very important for vocational schools in general
and Hanoi University of Industry in specific; (2) to assess knowledge and skills of graduates
from vocational schools and the impact of school-enterprise cooperation on knowledge and
skills of graduates; (3) to indentify the major factors for developing program collaboration
between enterprises and vocational training schools in order to improve vocational training
quality; and (4) to propose some solutions for improving collaboration between enterprises
and vocational training schools in the future. Moreover, the research results will contribute to
the literature on education, labor economics and human resources management.
1.4. Research Questions
With the above objectives, the following questions are addressed to meet the
objectives of this dissertation:
Q1. What are the problems encountered by the enterprises about the skills and
knowledge of vocational school graduates in terms of (1) Desired skills for their position, (2)
Knowledge required for their position, (3) Work attitude ?


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