China’s vocational education changes amid push for new quality productive forces

TIANJIN, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) — China has boosted the education of people with skills related to new quality productive forces, with over 70 percent of new frontline workers in modern manufacturing, strategic emerging industries, and modern services now graduates of vocational schools, said a report on Friday.
The Report on the Development of Vocational Education in China was released during the 2024 World Vocational and Technical Education Development Conference in Tianjin Municipality, north China.
In 2021, the Ministry of Education revised the vocational major catalog to include more majors on strategic emerging industries, the modern service sector, digital transformation and rural revitalization.
In 2023, higher vocational schools introduced 1,266 new school locations offering majors related to strategic emerging industries, including next-generation information technology, high-end equipment manufacturing, new materials and biotechnology — representing an 8.24-percent increase from the previous year and producing over 1.05 million graduates.
As of 2023, China had over 11,000 vocational schools, including technical schools, with nearly 35 million students studying at these schools, according to the Ministry of Education.
The conference, which concluded Friday, was attended by representatives from over 100 countries and regions. It also featured parallel meetings on topics including the coordination between enterprises and colleges in vocational training, the role of vocational education in global sustainable development, and the occupation development of vocational education teachers.
The conference was jointly hosted by China’s Ministry of Education, the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO, and the Tianjin municipal government. ■