Table Of ContentEmployability
in Context
Labour Market Needs,
Skills Gaps and Graduate
Employability Development
in Regional Vietnam
Ly Thi Tran · Nga Thi Hang Ngo
Hoa Thi Mai Nguyen · Truc Thi Thanh Le
Employability in Context
“This book is a timely and much needed contribution to the field of graduate
employability. It addresses an overdue disconnect between the three key stake-
holders concerned with graduate employability: universities, graduates and
employers. The analysis of the combined perspectives and experiences of
Vietnamese graduates, universities and employers elucidates Vietnam’s labour
market needs, opportunities and challenges as well as graduates’ navigation to
get a foothold in the labour market. This book also offers unique insights into
graduate employability from the policy views in Vietnam. It discusses practical
implications to enhance graduate employability, influenced by the dynamic,
multi-layered complex relationship of higher education, geographical context
and the labour market demand and supply. A compelling read for scholars, prac-
titioners and policy makers alike.”
—Dr Tien Ho, President, Phu Xuan University, Vietnam
“This latest research by leading scholars indicates how employability issues are
sustained through wide and deep structures across a strong and emerging econ-
omy in Asia. The scholars not only highlight powerful actionable strategies to
help redress these ongoing issues, but also transform a system to release the
incredible potential of younger people in Vietnam.”
—Professor Tony Wall, Professor, Liverpool Business School,
Liverpool John Moores University, UK
Ly Thi Tran • Nga Thi Hang Ngo
Hoa Thi Mai Nguyen
Truc Thi Thanh Le
Employability in
Context
Labour Market Needs, Skills Gaps
and Graduate Employability
Development in Regional Vietnam
Ly Thi Tran Nga Thi Hang Ngo
School of Education & Centre for Research Department of General Education
for Educational Impact Tây Băć University
Deakin University Sơn La, Vietnam
Burwood, VIC, Australia
Truc Thi Thanh Le
Hoa Thi Mai Nguyen School of Education
School of Education Deakin University
UNSW Sydney Burwood, VIC, Australia
Sydney, NSW, Australia
ISBN 978-3-031-04143-3 ISBN 978-3-031-04144-0 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-04144-0
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Acknowledgements
First and foremost, we would like to thank the research participants who
are graduates, employers and university staff for sharing their time and
invaluable insights.
We are indebted to the Australian embassy in Vietnam and
the Australian government’s Aus4Skills program for supporting and
funding the research project, on which this book was based. In particular,
we owe our thanks to Ms. Dang Tuyet Anh, former QUINS Manager,
and Dr. Anne Herbert, Aus4Skills program, for their enormous support
throughout the project.
We thank staff from different Vietnamese universities for their gener-
ous support for our project, including data collection, and Dr. Nghia
Tran, Dr. Lan Anh Tran, Professor Hong Bui and Dr. Linh Nguyen for
their help and comments on the questions for interview, literature review
and data analysis.
We appreciate the continuing support from Becky Wyde and Divya
Suresh from Palgrave Macmillan for assisting us during our journey of
developing this book.
v
vi Acknowledgements
We are grateful to our families, friends and colleagues who have pro-
vided us with constant support and encouragement through the process
of carrying out this research and juggling between motherhood, home-
schooling and writing this book during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Melbourne, 2021 Ly Thi Tran
Nga Thi Hang Ngo
Hoa Thi Mai Nguyen
Truc Thi Thanh Le
Book Abstract
This book represents as the first book in the world that addresses graduate
employability from the perspectives of employers, graduates and univer-
sities in regional and rural Vietnam where about two thirds of the coun-
try’s population of almost 100 million live. It presents both conceptual
frameworks for interpreting graduate employability and practical tools
for enhancing graduate employability development in a dynamic and
fast-growing economy like Vietnam under the changing local and global
demands. The book provides fresh insights into the critical but under-
researched employers’ needs, skills gaps and sets of graduate employabil-
ity required in the Northern mountainous region of Vietnam, including
not only transferrable skills and technical knowledge but also qualities
such as empathy, adaptability, community engagement skills, local lan-
guage skills, local cultural understanding and commitment. It highlights
the need for the development of ‘employability in context’ for graduates
to enable them to adapt to the specific social, cultural and demographic
conditions of the region and tackle new employment challenges. Factors
inhibiting graduate employability development and barriers to embed-
ding career capacity building in the curriculum in regional universities
have been identified. The book suggests key strategies and directions for
vii
viii Book Abstract
enhancing graduate employability in response to the demands of the
regional labour market and for embedding career capacity building in
teaching and learning reforms in Vietnamese higher education.
Contents
1 Higher Education, Graduate Employability and Labour
Market 1
2 Labour Market Demands, Graduate Employability and
Employment Outcomes in Vietnam 29
3 Vietnamese Government’s View on Graduate Employability 57
4 Employers’ Expectations on Graduate Employability in
Vietnam 83
5 Employers’ Approaches to Assessing Graduate Employability 117
6 Graduates’ Perspectives on Employability in Vietnam 145
7 University Perspectives on Graduate Employability in
Vietnam 171
ix
x Contents
8 Graduate Employability Development from University
Perspectives 189
9 Labour Market Needs, Skills Gaps and Employability
Development: The Way Forward 217
I ndex 235
