Social-emotional learning (SEL) has emerged as a vital component in preparing vocational students for both academic success and mental well-being. In Vietnam, while soft skills are part of the vocational curriculum, the integration of SEL into these programmes remains underexplored. This study investigates the social-emotional skill levels among vocational students and examines how soft skills education can foster SEL development. A quantitative survey was conducted with 185 students from technical schools and technical colleges in Ho Chi Minh City, using a structured questionnaire based on the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) framework encompassing five core competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Descriptive statistics revealed that students’ social-emotional skills were generally at an average level. Among the five dimensions, social awareness scored the highest, while self-management—particularly time management and reading habits—scored the lowest. Inferential analysis using t-tests showed a statistically significant difference between technical college and technical school students, with college students demonstrating significantly higher proficiency in all five social-emotion domains. The findings highlight several challenges faced by vocational students, including limited teamwork ability, poor emotional regulation under pressure, and a tendency to focus on others’ weaknesses rather than strengths. These challenges underline the importance of embedding SEL more explicitly within soft skills curricula. The study concludes with practical recommendations for educational administrators and teachers, including smaller class sizes, mindfulness programs, targeted teacher training, and contextualized classroom activities to build emotional resilience and interpersonal competence.
