Tay Nguyen grads unable to get jobs Ethnic minority students directly admitted to colleges and universities without sitting for entrance exams are finding it difficult to find jobs after graduation, according to the Central Highlands Steering Committee. Workers at the Pleiku Garment Company in Gia Lai Province. Ethnic minority students directly admitted to colleges and universities are finding it difficult to find jobs after graduation.  There are at least 450 such graduates who have failed to find employment, the committee was cited as saying in a Vietnam News Agency report on Thursday, Nov 13. It said Kon Tum, Dak Lak and Dak Nong provinces have the highest number of unemployed ethnic minority graduates. Luong Thi Lien, a student from Dak Lak Province's Buon Ma Thuot City, graduated from the Tay Nguyen University's Animal Husbandry faculty two years ago, but she is yet to find a job in her field. She has sent her documents to more than 10 agencies in the province, but received no reply. She now works at a clothing shop and makes VND2.5 million (US$119) per month, of which VND800,000 ($40) goes to paying rent for her accommodation. "I used to think that studying animal husbandry would make it easy for me to find job in my province, but it is not true," she said. Lien said universities should co-operate with enterprises and introduce jobs to graduating students. Nguyen Tan Vui, principal of the Tay Nguyen University, said unemployment after graduation was "really a big waste." He said the problem happened because the students lacked proper vocational guidance. "They register for courses without knowing about demand in their localities," he said. For instance, Dak Lak Province needs about 400 doctors at different levels, but few students have been trained for this, while there are too many paramedics and nurses. Another reason is that several graduates who received university admission under the preferential policy are not well equipped to take on assigned tasks, Vui said. He suggested that the Ministry of Education and Training joins hands with relevant ministries and organisations to put out detailed forecasts about demand for different jobs so universities can adjust their enrolment policies accordingly. Moreover, the State should ensure adequate allowances for workers in remote and poor communes so that they could feel secure with their work, he said. The Central Highlands Steering Committee has asked provinces in the region to assess the employment situation of all ethnic minority graduates under the preferential admission policy so that proper measures can be taken to help them. The provinces should also check demand in local State organisations and agencies so that a plan can be prepared to employ the 450 graduates, the committee said. Since 2008, more than 1,900 ethnic minority students from 26 different communities including the E De, M'nong, Jrai, K'ho, Muong and Tay have been directly admitted to 19 universities and colleges across the country without having to sit for the common entrance examinations. These students have enrolled in 36 disciplines including teaching, medicine, economics, agriculture and forestry. Provinces in the region have invested more than VND230 billion (US$10.9 million) on the students' accommodation, meals, travel, books and other study aids. The Central Highlands region comprises the provinces of Dak Lak, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Dak Nong and Lam Dong. VNS