context: In a competitive employment environment where the number of college graduates increase every year, the PRC is pushing for more vocational education to create more workers with needed hands-on skills. In 2024, there are more young workers applying for blue-collar jobs due to rising salaries and increased enrolment in vocational high schools, indicating bottom-up changes in response to the party’s call.
A keynote speech on working together to promote high-quality global vocational education was delivered by Huai Jinpeng 怀进鹏 Minister of Education at the World Vocational and Technical Education Development Conference in Tianjin on 21 November.
Huai highlighted that President Xi Jinping places great importance on vocational education and looks forward to more international collaboration in this field. The PRC is committed to advancing high-quality vocational education through
- institutional, system, quality and environmental development as foundational pillars
- enhancing teaching capabilities and promoting deep integration between education and industry
The PRC aims to work with global partners to strengthen mutual learning, shared progress and implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development under the Global Development Initiative.
Main takeaways from Huai’s speech
- global challenges and cooperation
- the world faces unprecedented changes, with technological and industrial revolutions evolving rapidly
- greater international collaboration is needed to address shared challenges and foster trust and cooperation amidst globalisation's disruptions
- role of vocational education
- vocational education is vital for
- training diverse skilled workers and preserving skills
- boosting employment and entrepreneurship
- supporting innovation and sustainable economic growth
- it should
- adapt to the New Era's demands while staying true to its core essence
- be inclusive, industry-focused, innovation-driven and internationally oriented
- vocational education is vital for
- proposed initiatives
- Huai outlined six international public goods for vocational education:
- hosting regular conferences
- establishing a global vocational education development alliance
- launching world vocational education awards
- host the world skills competition
- organising dedicated exhibitions
- publishing journals
- Huai outlined six international public goods for vocational education:
These initiatives aim to inject new momentum into global vocational education, enhance governance capabilities and contribute to sustainable economic and social development worldwide.
Peng Binbai 彭斌柏 Ministry of Education Department of Vocational and Adult Education director, reported that over 200 vocational institutions across 27 provinces in China have partnered with 70 countries and regions, establishing more than 400 collaborative programs and institutions. Vocational education has become a key force in the PRC’s international education cooperation.
Future focus areas
- deepening educational collaboration
- strengthen initiatives like the Luban Workshop
- enhance the PRC’s global influence, competitiveness and voice in education
- top-level design
- focus on ASEAN and Central Asia as pilot regions
- develop region- and country-specific lists of overseas cooperation projects under the Belt and Road Initiative to ensure orderly growth
- establish standards for
- overseas vocational education institutions
- curricula, talent development and professional certifications
- promote Chinese education, perspectives and values globally
- enhance current collaborative programmes by
- strengthening integration and professional offerings
- adding fields like Chinese culture, traditional medicine and economics
- facilitating partnerships with high-quality foreign universities
- aim to improve overseas vocational education quality and support international industrial cooperation