Tianjin plays host to global technical education conference

Agenda includes streamlining integration of vocational training

Around 1,000 delegates at the 2024 World Vocational and Technical Education Development Conference are focusing on topics ranging from the integration of industry and education to sustainable development, teacher training and lifelong learning.

Taking place on Wednesday to Friday in Tianjin of North China, the event aims to establish six key elements in the field of vocational education on an international scale: a conference, an alliance, an award, a competition, an exhibition and a journal.

This year's conference is co-hosted by the Ministry of Education, the National Commission of the People's Republic of China for UNESCO, and the Tianjin municipal government. Participants are from important international organizations such as UNESCO, government departments, industry heavyweights, research institutions and vocational schools.

The "conference" will feature an opening ceremony, keynote speeches, bilateral talks, parallel sessions, a roundtable meeting of education ministers from participating countries, and a closing ceremony. The "alliance" is for global vocational and technical education development and is composed of vocational education-related schools, research institutions, industry companies and educational organizations around the world.

The "award" refers to the world vocational education award, which will be bestowed at the closing ceremony. The "competition" refers to an international vocational school skills competition with 42 tracks and a three-tier structure (school-level preliminary rounds, provincial-level intermediary heats and the final competition). The final round consists of three stages, with the championship to be held concurrently with the conference.

The "exhibition" refers to the world vocational and technical education exhibition, covering 12,500 square meters and featuring areas devoted to things such as vocational education achievements, intangible cultural heritage preservation, industry-education integration and international cooperation. The "journal" refers to the establishment of World Vocational and Technical Education, presented by Tianjin University of Technology and Education, with the inaugural issue to be released during the conference.

The conference debuted in Tianjin in August 2022, and last year, the city and the Ministry of Education signed a strategic cooperation agreement to stage it every two years.

High-ranking officials from 20 countries are expected to be present at this year's ministerial-level roundtable to discuss and share their experiences in vocational education development and how it can better serve economic and social development. As well, leaders from Tianjin and the Ministry of Education have been invited to engage in face-to-face discussions with ministerial-level guests, aiming to further promote cooperation in vocational education between China and foreign countries and regions.

The conference will release the Tianjin consensus on world vocational education development, outlining a shared vision, initiatives and actions for such development. It will emphasize strengthening cooperation and working together to build a fair and inclusive vocational education system.

Tianjin has actively developed the "Tianjin Model" for vocational education development and is recognized by the Ministry of Education as the "national vocational education reform experimental zone", "national vocational education reform and innovation demonstration zone" and the "national modern vocational education reform and innovation demonstration zone".

The city has deepened integration of industry and education to serve high-quality development. It has established two large industry-education alliances focused on biomedicine and information technology application innovation and chiefly develops eight city industry-education alliances in fields such as integrated circuits, automotive equipment and the digital economy. Tianjin also set up three industry-education integration communities in new energy, intelligent supply chains and high-end equipment with leading companies.

Measures have been introduced to improve the arrangement of higher vocational education majors, and a mechanism for adjusting majors in response to industry dynamics has been optimized, with new majors like artificial intelligence, energy storage materials and intelligent connected vehicles closely aligned with leading industries.

Tianjin has vigorously promoted the integration of vocational and general education. Pilot projects in five secondary vocational schools have implemented comprehensive reforms to meet diverse development needs of students, and the city has also improved mechanisms that offer moral and technical education and combine study and work while making efforts to nurture high-quality technical professionals, skilled artisans and master craftsmen.

The vocational education curriculum development system has been established in Tianjin, integrating resources from industries, enterprises, research institutions and academia. In 2023, Tianjin won 10 first prizes at the National Vocational College Skills Competition and 16 golden medals at the Vocational Skills Competition of the People's Republic of China. Sixty percent of higher vocational graduates in the city are employed there, creating a reservoir of high-quality skilled talents for local economic and social development.

songmengxing@chinadaily.com.cn