Despite China’s push, vocational education is still struggling with a shortage of staff and lack of respect
- The lack of specialised teachers, social respect and corporate participation are stunting the growth of Chinese vocational schools
- Despite a desperate need for skilled technical workers, China is facing an oversupply of university graduates and white-collar workers
After being a doctor at a public hospital for over 15 years, Yin Jichao was transferred four years ago to head a local school by the government of Xian in northwest China’s Shaanxi province.
He was given an important mission: to create more opportunities for hands-on training and real-world experience for students at the Xian Health School, a vocational school that traditionally produces nurses.
But a lack of specialised teachers, social respect and corporate participation have stunted the growth of vocational schools, leading to an oversupply of university graduates and white-collar professionals, and a shortage of skilled technical workers, according to school principals and experts.
These include an amended law that stipulates vocational education is as important as general education, as well as detailed requirements for vocational schools to cultivate more skilled mentors and provide more on-the-job training.
11:11
The reasons behind China’s high youth unemployment rate
