context: In February 2026, the Ministry of Education issued Opinions on deepening reform of vocational education teaching aim to shift talent cultivation from traditional knowledge transmission toward comprehensive capability enhancement, establishing advanced standards systems by 2027 and distinct PRC-style vocational education practices by 2035. It aims to address talent cultivation mismatches with industrial, economic and social development, seeking to transform high-skilled talent cultivation from 'potted plants' to 'landscapes' and ultimately ecosystems.
The guidelines mandate five major reform tasks.
First
- dynamic specialty adjustment requires strengthening coordination of specialty settings optimisation
- strictly implementing 'red and yellow card' warning systems
- using big data and artificial intelligence to predict talent supply-demand in key fields
- new specialty approval fast-track channels will prioritise emerging industries including low-altitude economy, artificial intelligence and high-end equipment
- schools and enterprises may jointly develop national teaching standards, with distinctive specialties allowed to use school, enterprise or regional names in brackets
Specialty settings must align closely with regional key industrial layouts, stating dynamic adjustment mechanisms resolve talent supply-demand contradictions from the source, stated Song Kai 宋凯 Non-Ferrous Metals Industry Talent Centre director.
Second
- scientific course design requires promptly integrating latest standards, technologies and processes into courses
- schools must engage with leading enterprises' typical production tasks, conduct job analyses and on-site excavation to decompose skill and knowledge points, map course capability frameworks and advance integrated, modular and project-based course construction
Capability mapping aims to standardise course development through five-level frameworks: project-task-process-skill point-knowledge point, shifting teaching logic from 'theory to practice' toward 'practice to theory', explained Nie Wei 聂伟 National Institute of Education Sciences associate researcher.
Third
- optimised teaching materials require establishing trilateral compilation mechanisms amongst schools, enterprises and industries implementing 'three chief editors' systems: enterprise technical experts, school specialty leaders and industry authorities
- materials must promptly incorporate new methods, technologies, processes, standards and equipment
The 'three chief editors' mechanism breaks traditional teacher-only compilation patterns, ensuring materials' advanced nature and applicability from the source, noted Ye Bo 叶波 Higher Education Press deputy director.
Fourth
- detailed teacher capability lists require subdividing teacher abilities across professional theory, practical capability, teaching capability and research capability based on reformed course and materials requirements
- schools and enterprises should jointly build teacher development centres, conduct capability evaluations against lists and establish 'bidirectional flow' mechanisms between teachers and enterprise talent whilst creating industrial mentor systems
The measures unite school and enterprise teaching forces, enabling enterprise technical experts and skill masters to transform frontline experience into teaching content, commented Liu Youmei 刘友梅 Chinese Academy of Engineering academician.
Fifth
- integrated industry-education training bases require schools and enterprises to build facilities through commissioned construction, joint construction and cluster construction models at schools, enterprises and industrial parks
- schools may explore upgrading facilities through shareholding systems, mixed ownership models and production line operations
Practical training bases must highly match specialty directions, course content and teaching materials, enabling students to complete real or pre-research projects under joint teacher-enterprise mentor guidance, emphasised He Long 何龙 Chengdu Aeronautic Polytechnic's Aviation Equipment Manufacturing Industry College dean.