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This study investigates the relationship between career development learning (CDL) and students’ perceived employability (SPE) with the mediating role of human capital. Using a quantitative method based on structured questionnaires to collect data from 512 Vietnamese students before starting their internship at businesses and 322 of them after 4 months, the results of the partial least square Structural Equational Model analysis showed that CDL positively affects SPE over time. Besides, the study explored the mediating effect of human capital in the relationship between CDL and SPE. In particular, scholastic capital and cultural capital play mediating roles while social capital failed to be in the relationship between CDL and SPE. This study is expected to enrich current literature on students’ employability and human capital theory. From practical aspects, the findings of this work can be of benefit to higher education institutions in supporting their students to enhance their employability in labour market.

Background Understanding students’ career intentions through evidence-based approaches is crucial for developing effective career guidance and intervention strategies. Although there has been considerable attention in this field, research remains limited, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in Asia. These regions have unique socioeconomic conditions and cultural norms that potentially shape decision-making processes. This study provides insights into the career intentions of medical and nursing students and identifies the key determinants influencing their choices at a newly established private institution (VinUniversity) in Vietnam. Methods This study employs a mixed-methods design. The quantitative phase involved a survey of all undergraduate medical and nursing students. The qualitative phase consisted of in-depth 11 individual interviews with a purposive sample until data saturation. Results A total of 198 students (77%) participated in the quantitative phase. The majority of students (75.8%) expressed interest in clinical practice, with preferences notably high for surgical specialties (30.9%), internal medicine (10.1%), and pediatrics (10.1%). 22.7% of students expressed a desire to work overseas, and a significant number (70.7%) indicated the lack of a career guidance program. Qualitative data revealed that personal interest, family influence, financial stability, and societal appreciation were primary influencers in career choice. Discussion The study underscores the complex interplay between personal interests, family influence, financial considerations, and societal expectations in shaping career choices. The persistent low interest in family medicine and primary care continued to be a concern. Conclusion This study provides further insights into the career intentions and influencing factors among medical and nursing students at VinUniversity. The implications for practice include implementing tailored career guidance programs, offering diverse elective tracks that incorporate global health experiences, and establishing structured mentorship programs. It is also recommended to measure the impact of these interventions through longitudinal follow-up studies to enhance career satisfaction, better prepare future healthcare professionals, and contribute to the improvement of healthcare systems.

This article examines how graduate employability is viewed by employers in six economically disadvantaged mountainous provinces in Vietnam. The study reported in this article identified continuous self-learning, resilience, adaptability, devotion and empathy for the local people and local community to be among the main employability attributes expected of graduates in regional Vietnam. The findings of the study raise the importance of context situatedness in looking at employability and show how employability is characterised by the local structural conditions, demographic features and socio-cultural norms. The study provides significant implications for career guidance and graduate employability development, especially in relation to regional areas.

This article reports a study that explored how at-home international education, known as advanced programs, offered by Vietnamese universities contributes to students' employability and career prospects. Data included 30 interviews with third- and fourth-year students, two institutional reports, and a national report on the progress of these programs after 10 years of implementation. The data were analyzed using a content-analysis approach. The results showed that advanced programs could help students develop human capital, expand their social network, enrich cultural understanding via mobility, enhance their career adaptability, and develop professional identity. However, despite quality learning outcomes, approximately one-third of graduates appeared not to successfully secure relevant employment within a year post-graduation. This article explains possible factors causing the gap between students' employability and employment outcomes and suggests ways to fill the gap. (HRK / Abstract übernommen).

Mentorship is a critical element of medical education, shaping specialty preferences, professional identity, and confidence. At VinUniversity in Hanoi, Vietnam, the Longitudinal Mentorship Program (LMP) was designed to provide sustained guidance in a low- and middle-income context. This mixed-methods study included 83 medical students from the first two cohorts at VinUniversity. Quantitative data were collected through a cross-sectional survey assessing mentorship's influence on specialty selection, confidence, and professional identity formation using a 5-point Likert scale (91.2% response rate). Qualitative data were obtained via semi-structured interviews with 14 students, exploring mentorship's role in career transitions, gender considerations, work-life balance, and role model influences. Statistical analyses, including Spearman correlation and group comparisons, were conducted for quantitative data, while thematic analysis was applied to qualitative findings. Survey data showed that students rated mentorship highly for enhancing confidence (mean 3.98 ± 1.08), providing useful skills and knowledge (3.98 ± 1.06), and offering valuable insights and advice (4.05 ± 1.09). Mentorship was perceived to moderately influence specialty selection (3.28 ± 1.49). Female students consistently rated their mentors higher, with significant differences for expertise (p = 0.005), professional connections (p = 0.002), emotional support (p = 0.007), and personalized guidance (p = 0.022). Correlation analyses revealed that mentors' expertise (ρ = 0.488), emotional support (ρ = 0.425), and role modeling (ρ = 0.511) were strongly associated with enhanced confidence and specialty interest. Qualitative findings emphasized the importance of role models, clinical mentors, and personal support, with additional insights into gender considerations, work-life balance, and reinforcement of career aspirations. This study highlights the critical role of longitudinal mentorship in medical education, demonstrating its impact on career certainty, motivation, and professional identity formation. The findings support the integration of structured mentorship programs into medical curricula to enhance career preparedness and student development. Future research should investigate the long-term effects of mentorship beyond medical school and explore strategies for optimizing mentor-mentee pairing to maximize its benefits.

Farming communities in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD) face a range of socio-economic and environmental pressures. With out-migration and changing career opportunities, many young people are unwilling to remain in agriculture and prefer careers elsewhere due to poor perceptions of farming as a career. To better understand the educational choices and career aspirations of rural youth in the VMD and the contextual factors affecting these choices, we used an online survey and several focus group discussions to consult university students about their selection of university major, their career aspirations, the role of climate change and other pressures, and opportunities available to alleviate these pressures. Farming itself was an unattractive career pathway, though agricultural services, research and extension were relatively popular. Climate change may reduce agricultural employment prospects, requiring some respondents to pursue other, less impacted careers. Other pressures reported included a lack of certain workplace skills; gendered differences in career prospects and sectors; inadequate personal networks; and COVID-19 economic impacts. Government and private sector initiatives may help alleviate these pressures via educational, financial and entrepreneurial support, valourising diverse career pathways, and ensuring improved inclusivity for youth in rural communities. Les communautés agricoles du delta du Mékong vietnamien (DMV) font face à une gamme de pressions socio-économiques et environnementales. Avec l’émigration et les changements d’opportunités de carrière, beaucoup de jeunes sont réticents à rester dans l’agriculture et préfèrent des carrières ailleurs en raison de la mauvaise perception de l’agriculture comme carrière. Pour mieux comprendre les choix éducatifs et les aspirations de carrière des jeunes ruraux dans le DMV et les facteurs contextuels affectant ces choix, nous avons utilisé un sondage en ligne et plusieurs discussions de groupes de discussion pour consulter les étudiants universitaires sur leur choix de majeure universitaire, leurs aspirations de carrière, le rôle du changement climatique et d’autres pressions, et les opportunités disponibles pour atténuer ces pressions. L’agriculture elle-même était une voie de carrière peu attrayante, bien que les services agricoles, la recherche et l’extension étaient relativement populaires. Le changement climatique peut réduire les perspectives d’emploi agricole, obligeant certains répondants à poursuivre d’autres carrières, moins impactées. D’autres pressions signalées étaient un manque de certaines compétences en milieu de travail; des différences de genre dans les perspectives de carrière et les secteurs; des réseaux personnels insuffisants; et les impacts économiques de la COVID-19. Les initiatives du gouvernement et du secteur privé peuvent aider à atténuer ces pressions par le biais de soutien éducatif, financier et entrepreneurial, en valorisant diverses voies de carrière, et en assurant une meilleure inclusivité pour les jeunes dans les communautés rurales. Las comunidades agrícolas en el Delta del Mekong en Vietnam (VMD) enfrentan una gama de presiones socioeconómicas y ambientales. Con la emigración y el cambio de oportunidades laborales, muchos jóvenes no están dispuestos a permanecer en la agricultura y prefieren carreras en otros lugares debido a las malas percepciones de la agricultura como carrera. Para comprender mejor las elecciones educativas y las aspiraciones profesionales de la juventud rural en el VMD y los factores contextuales que afectan estas elecciones, utilizamos una encuesta en línea y varias discusiones de grupos focales para consultar a los estudiantes universitarios sobre su elección de carrera universitaria, aspiraciones profesionales, el papel del cambio climático y otras presiones, y las oportunidades disponibles para aliviar estas presiones. La agricultura en sí es una carrera poco atractiva, aunque los servicios agrícolas, la investigación y la extensión son relativamente populares. El cambio climático puede reducir las perspectivas de empleo agrícola, requiriendo que algunos encuestados busquen otras carreras menos impactadas. Otras presiones reportadas fueron la falta de ciertas habilidades laborales; diferencias de género en las perspectivas y sectores de carrera; redes personales inadecuadas; y los impactos económicos de COVID-19. Las iniciativas del gobierno y del sector privado pueden ayudar a aliviar estas presiones a través de apoyo educativo, financiero y emprendedor, valorizando diversas trayectorias profesionales, y asegurando una mayor inclusividad para la juventud en las comunidades rurales.

This article reports on the measurement properties of the Vietnamese versions of the Career Education and Development Scale‐Senior and the Career Education and Development Scale‐Tertiary. The International Labour Organization Vietnam facilitated collection of data from students in high schools (N = 1463) and universities (N = 645) who completed these new measures along with comparator measures of self‐efficacy and career‐related beliefs, and expectations. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed an eight‐factor model equivalent for high school and university students. Correlations with comparator measures provide evidence of concurrent validity. These new measures of career preparedness support Vietnam's national efforts to advance career development, research, and practice. Future research recommendations focus on testing the measures’ properties across different sociocultural factors and gender.

Vietnam's quick social and economic changes make it crucial to boost career guidance and real-world learning for students in school. But the country's teacher-centered school system doesn't give students the experiences and guidance they need to do well in today's complex job market. To check how things stand with career guidance and see if handson activities could help, this study employed a mixed-methods approach which involved conducting surveys with 500 students, interviews with 50 stakeholders, as well as reviewing relevant literature. The results indicated that students were not happy with what they were getting and wanted more chances to try out different jobs. While it is not easy to bring in hands-on learning, it can help students with their people skills, understanding themselves, making career choices, staying motivated, and getting ready for work. Based on the evidence gathered, recommendations include strengthening career education within the curriculum, fostering collaborations with industries, improving instructor training programs, utilizing technology effectively, and increasing parental awareness. If schools, people who make the rules, and communities work together to add more hands-on activities to how students learn in Vietnam, it will help students get the different skills they need to handle school and work in today's fast-changing world. This study gives helpful ideas to make career guidance better and create more chances for Vietnam's next generation to learn by doing.

Medical students' specialty decisions are shaped by a complex interaction of personal characteristics, academic experiences, social influences, and broader contextual factors. In lower-middle-income countries, where Western medical curricula are adapted to local educational and cultural contexts, little is known about how students make sense of these influences in shaping their future professional roles. This study aimed to explore how students interpret and construct their specialty choices in a newly established hybrid medical curriculum in Vietnam. This qualitative study used an interpretive phenomenological approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 27 medical students across all four academic years at a Vietnamese medical school. Participants were selected through purposive sampling to ensure diverse academic backgrounds and training levels. Interviews were thematically analyzed using an inductive framework to identify how students experienced and interpreted influences on their specialty decisions. Four interrelated themes emerged from the analysis. First, students described how personality traits shaped their emerging identity and influenced specialty preferences. Second, academic and extracurricular experiences, including clinical rotations, research, and volunteer work, were viewed as transformative encounters that clarified career direction. Third, students navigated financial hardship, family expectations, and academic pressure, often interpreting these constraints as factors in negotiating or compromising their career choices. Finally, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted moral reflection, with some students reaffirming frontline aspirations and others shifting toward specialties offering personal safety or opportunities for systemic impact. Medical specialty choice is a reflective and identity-driven process shaped by personal dispositions, experiential learning, social pressures, and contextual disruptions. Rather than being solely determined by traits or external incentives, students engage in an evolving interpretation of who they are and what kind of doctor they wish to become. Medical education should incorporate reflective support systems to guide students through this complex process.