Student career preparation in the economic integration- Asean economic community and transpacific strategic economic partnership agreement
Abstract
Globalization and regionalization have influenced the Vietnam labor market more robustly, especially since the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community and Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement in 2015. Hence, preparing for students for a dynamic workforce becomes critical. This paper examines the attributes of student career preparation and their relationships with the willingness to work in ASEAN. The quantitative research was conducted among 317 university students in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and analysed by Structural Equation Modelling. The empirical result indicates that regional economic integration and academic experiences have remarkable influence on career preparation, which also has a strong impact upon the willingness of students to accept international working. Moreover, the students’ willingness to accept an international job is affected by linguistic skills and cultural knowledge. Specifically, Vietnamese students are reluctant to shift working to ASEAN after graduation despite the influence of globalization and regionalization. In-depth interviews were accordingly held for 10 respondents for further understanding the hidden causes. Thus, the paper discusses critical recommendations to improve student career preparation and confidence.
Keywords: Career preparation; Regional economic integration; Willingness to work overseas; Linguistic skills; Cultural.