Proposal

ABOUT US:
TnG stands for Transformation to the Next Generations, which will contribute to establishing an enabling environment for high school students who are interested in volunteering and educational social activities to network with the business sector in Vietnam as well as prestigious facilitate local Civil Society Organisations’ (CSOs), which are facing the challenge of a shortage of human resources, initiatives in promoting Corporate Social Responsibility and Creating Shared Values focusing on the Sustainable Development Goals 3, 4, 5, 8, 13, 16 and 17.

OUR STORY:
I grew up in Ninh Thuận province, a suburb that is often mistaken for Bình Thuận province by my university friends. From a young age, the adults around me advised me to prioritize my studies and aim to pass the entrance exams for universities located in major cities, like Ho Chi Minh City. They believed that by doing so, I would have better job prospects and be able to build a successful career. This advice was not unique to me, as almost everyone in my community received it. The reason behind it was that economic development and urbanization were slow in our region, which meant that young people like me would have limited access to education and training programs, as well as fewer opportunities to succeed in the future. Although I was one of the students in a specialized high school, which is arguably the best in the province, we had limited opportunities to explore our interests and talents. This is acknowledged in Sustainable Development Goal 4, which emphasizes quality and equality in education.

In other words, our primary focus was on studying hard to pass the entrance exams to a major university in a big city. We hoped that after graduation, we could easily find a stable job. However, we didn’t understand what we truly liked or what the career programs at that university were. Consequently, research indicates that a considerable number of students, upon completing their academic studies at universities even the top in Vietnam, often find themselves in a state of confusion and uncertainty, as they struggle to identify their interests and passions, ultimately leading them to a path of indecision and lack of direction. (1) In addition, the overpopulation of urban areas has led to a surplus of workers and mass layoffs, which can be attributed to the misguided advice of previous generations. (1)

Only a small fraction of us, about 1 in 100 students (based on the statistical survey in my area) were economically well-off and had access to quality information and programs to explore our interests or even study abroad opportunities. A few others had access to admission information, scholarship programs from government organizations, and prestigious universities worldwide, and began to strive to improve their academic performance and participate in community activities to prepare for their scholarship application. According to the statistics of Vietnamese household spending on education and training in recent years, the spending level on education and training for one person in public school in one year, is much lower than private schools owned by a social or professional organization (25,3 million/person/year) and private schools owned by individual/group of individuals(17,8 million/person/year). (2)

In my opinion, this is a great chance to motivate many high school students to carry out activities that impact society positively. However, due to low accessibility, most student projects only existed for a short time due to 2 main reasons, which are a lack of financial resources to maintain and a lack of human resources to inherit and continue.

Regarding the first reason, because our locality is in the suburban plains, not as difficult as the mountainous students, we also received little attention from large organizations, programs, or brands to call for sponsorship. Another reason is that we could hardly find any reputable organization or experienced center to ask for advice, all projects and programs were self-referenced by us students from the Internet and implemented.

On the other hand, this contradicts the reality that while large brands and businesses pursuing social impact marketing strategies such as CSR, CSV are eager to find non-profit organizations, and projects to invest in and through that perform social responsibility to enhance brand recognition and trust.

Regarding the second reason, after having the opportunity to connect and work with large social organizations with a long-standing foundation like Teach for Vietnam, an organization sponsored by the global Teach for All organization (3), I discovered that these organizations themselves also lack human resources, which are students, students with spirit and desire to participate in social projects like that to bring positive impacts to the community.

OUR SOLUTION:

The proposed project focuses on raising students’ awareness of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Creating Shared Value (CSV) in order to achieve specific Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while simultaneously providing opportunities for students to collaborate and connect regarding their potential ideas and plans.

The aim of the project is to act as an umbrella organization for non-profit organizations and volunteer programs in high schools by leveraging CSR and CSV funds, enhancing networking capabilities, fostering cooperation with the corporate sector, designing effective projects, building strong branding, and promoting multi-stakeholder communication through comprehensive education and training programs.

Another objective is to empower students with practical skills and knowledge that will enable them to explore their strengths and weaknesses effectively. We plan to achieve this by implementing different educational and training programs combined with actual social activities. These programs will help students make wise and feasible decisions when it comes to choosing their future career paths.

After participating in our programs, students will gain practical skills and knowledge that can make them potential candidates for prestigious volunteering programs and social non-profit organizations in Vietnam and around the world. These opportunities will give them better chances for their future.

REFERENCES:

1. Báo Tuổi Trẻ Thủ Đô. Nỗi Lo thất nghiệp Của Tân cử Nhân Mới Ra Trường [Internet]. [cited 2024 Apr 11]. Available from: https://tuoitrethudo.com.vn/noi-lo-that-nghiep-cua-tan-cu-nhan-moi-ra-truong-233390.html