State Council encourages vocational education reform

The State Council issued a circular on Feb 13, detailing the reform plan for China’s vocational education to cultivate high-quality workers and technical personnel.

The circular said that by 2022, 50 high-level advanced vocational schools with 150 key majors should be established, and a national standard system of vocational education that covers most industries and meets international advanced levels will be created. Enterprises will show more willingness to participate in vocational education, and teachers with both theoretical and practical skills will account for over half of the total number of professional teachers.

To achieve these goals, efforts should be made to improve the framework of the national vocational education system, enhance secondary vocational education, and promote the high-quality development of advanced vocational education, as well as intensify the training system for high-level, application-oriented personnel, according to the circular.

It also emphasized the fundamental role of standards in improving the quality of vocational education, and decided to initiate the pilot work of academic certificates plus vocational skill level certificates (1+X) system, encouraging students to learn more skills while obtaining a diploma.

Vocational training in about 10 industries that are short on skilled talent will be conducted, and enterprises are also encouraged to participate, the circular added.

The circular also urged the integration of production and education by encouraging universities and enterprises to work together to make training plans, promoting comprehensive and deepened cooperation, and constructing a number of high-level training bases.

Benefits for technical personnel will be improved, as will the educational fund investment mechanism, according to the circular.

It also urged improving the quality evaluation and supervision system of vocational education.