But principals and experts say a lack of professional teachers, social respectability and corporate involvement are holding back vocational schools’ growth, leading to an oversupply of university graduates and white-collar professionals and a shortage of skilled technical workers. It is said that they are connected.
These include amending the law to make vocational education as important as general education and detailed requirements for vocational schools to develop more skilled instructors and provide on-the-job training.
11:11
Why China’s youth unemployment rate is high
Why China’s youth unemployment rate is high
China already has the world’s largest vocational education system. According to the Ministry of Education (MOE), approximately 10 million students will be enrolled in more than 8,700 schools in 2022.
As a result, China is expected to face a shortage of 30 million skilled workers in manufacturing by 2025, according to data from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.
“When I worked in hospitals, I always felt there was an urgent need to develop talent to better meet the changing needs of the industry,” he said.
A former traditional Chinese medicine orthopedic surgeon said more than 60 percent of the hospital’s inpatient services were devoted to treating the elderly, and there was a skill mismatch among new staff.
Although current schools have a reputation as “not bad” and are easy to enroll students and recruit staff, only about half of the teachers are “dual mentors” who have both a teaching license and a qualification in their field. They teach according to government orders.
Prime Minister calls for more blue-collar workers to solve skills shortage
Prime Minister calls for more blue-collar workers to solve skills shortage
Jiang Xinhua, principal of Guangzhou Construction College, said that apart from their quality and expertise, there is simply a shortage of teachers at vocational schools due to their low social status and low wages, said Jiang Xinhua at a seminar held by a state-run education magazine last month. mentioned in.
“In fact, the government ordered vocational schools as early as 2020 to hire people who have worked in companies for at least three years, but we are still unable to find such people,” he said. .
However, the number of teachers at technical colleges is just over 610,000, accounting for about half the number of educators at undergraduate institutions.
The revised Vocational Education Act, which came into effect in May 2022, states that vocational education is as important as general education, and therefore graduates of vocational schools should enjoy equal education and career opportunities. improved.
Some schools have invested large sums of money in renovating their facilities in this move.
The institute’s Party Secretary Xiao Weijun said the move would “bring workshops to campus” and give students practical experience.
However, for many of those who find employment, vocational education can only develop if graduates are paid an adequate salary.
Han Qifan, a senior engineer at Chengguang Electric Wire, a power cable manufacturer in Zhejiang province, said workers in China are paid less than in other countries.
“There remains a significant disparity between the incomes of blue-collar workers in China and those in Germany and Japan,” he said.
He also said that although Mr. Han is an award-winning and somewhat influential figure, his government compensation and cash incentives are still often deposited into his employer’s account.
He said the government is rolling out various projects to encourage businesses to support craftsmanship.
“[But employers] “We tend to think that we are paying good technicians, even if they are at a higher level than the average employee,” he said. “Thus, they are less likely to volunteer to share government funding with engineers.”
Can China’s “out-of-touch” occupational system fill the blue-collar void?
Can China’s “out-of-touch” occupational system fill the blue-collar void?
According to a study by MyCos, a Beijing-based education consulting firm, the average monthly salary for new graduates with a vocational education degree in China in 2022 will be 4,595 yuan (US$643), while the average monthly salary for those with a bachelor’s degree will be It was 5,990 yuan.
Han added that low wages for blue-collar workers result in the lowest performing students attending vocational schools, leading to society’s negative perception of vocational education.
In the existing education system, all students take two major examinations known as ‘examinations’. Junior and senior high school and Gao, before entering traditional junior high school and university, respectively. Those who do not score high enough end up attending vocational school or entering the job market, where they are influenced by negative stereotypes.
There have been reports in the news that some trade schools are offering fake majors in order to attract students looking to enter new professions. Many companies have been accused of exploiting students by entering into agreements with vocational schools, recruiting “interns,” and paying them below minimum wage.
As part of this reform to the education sector, the authorities have committed to encouraging the involvement of companies in improving vocational training and establishing more than 10,000 companies that will also work as training centers in partnership with vocational schools.
02:39
China’s economy is expected to recover faster than expected in the third quarter
China’s economy is expected to recover faster than expected in the third quarter
However, according to a human resources manager at an advanced materials manufacturer in Dongguan, Guangdong province, most companies are not interested because the training costs are high.
“It takes at least six months to train a beginner from school, but it is easy to find experienced workers directly on the job market. Therefore, small and medium-sized enterprises will not be very keen to cooperate with schools.” said the business owner, who gave his last name as Liang.
“This is rather the task of industry leaders, who bear a heavier burden in fulfilling their social responsibilities,” Liang said.
Ye Xianlin, who runs a biotechnology company in Zhejiang Province, was also reluctant to collaborate with vocational schools, especially during economic downturns when there were many options in the labor market.
“So many businesses are closing and there are people everywhere looking for work,” he said.
According to the latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), China’s urban unemployment rate peaked at 5.6% in February 2023 and remained at 5% as of November.
However, although the unemployment rate for 16-24-year-olds had risen to a record high of 21.3% in June last year, NBS stopped publishing the statistics, citing the need to “further improve and optimize” the statistics. did. .
“New graduates may be able to get an office job, but not when it comes to manual labor,” he says. “To be honest, very few people who graduate from technical school and are hired as front-line workers can live up to our expectations.”