Govt to channel more young people into vocational schools

The government will encourage students who have completed lower secondary school to learn much-needed practical skills at vocational schools, so they can fill the shortages in today’s job market.
Under the National Socio-Economic Development Plan for 2020, the government plans to increase the proportion of lower secondary school graduates attending vocational schools from 3.3 percent in 2019 to 5 percent in 2020.
Details of this policy intervention were not immediately available to local media. But it is clear that this policy is being adopted because Laos is suffering

from a shortage of skilled workers, particularly in the construction, manufacturing and agribusiness sectors.
Formal education in Laos takes place over 12 years, with five years in primary school, three years in lower secondary school, and four years in upper secondary school.
Most students complete upper secondary school before continuing on to tertiary education. But this means there is a top-heavy number of people with academic qualifications, while the supply of construction workers, mechanics and chefs is insufficient for the country’s needs.
Most students want to take university courses, resulting in an oversupply of administrative workers. Because of this imbalance, it is likely that Laos will face a high rate of unemployment.
Policy-makers have said on several occasions that the supply of workers is mismatched. This means Laos has to bring in technical workers from overseas to meet the changing needs brought about by economic development.
Apart from encouraging young people who have completed lower secondary education to attend vocational schools, the government plans to introduce a policy to ensure that 80 percent of upper secondary school leavers continue on to tertiary education.
Currently, only 75 percent of upper secondary school graduates go on to take courses at colleges or universities.
Other education development targets planned for 2020 are increasing the proportion of school age children enrolling in upper secondary schools from 54.8 percent in 2019 to 56 percent in 2020, and reducing the primary school drop-out rate.   
Earlier this year, the Minister of Education, Mrs Sengdeuane Lachanthaboun, said her ministry would play a central role in developing a national human resource development plan.
She said that addressing the labour supply mismatch required the cooperation of a wide range of sectors, including state agencies and the private sector.
One of the main challenges in redressing the situation is that most people believe that higher education is the only path to success.

By Ekaphone Phouthonesy
(Latest Update January 3, 2020)