Shifting Gears: Vocational Education and the Transformation of the Chinese Economy

To what extent can China adapt a planned state-led economic model to meet the demands of a high value-added, innovation, and consumer service-driven economy? What factors explain the relative success of vocational schools in... [ view full abstract ]

To what extent can China adapt a planned state-led economic model to meet the demands of a high value-added, innovation, and consumer service-driven economy? What factors explain the relative success of vocational schools in China? This project examines the success of vocational schools as a key mechanism of economic restructuring and analyzes the triangular relationship between enterprises, schools, and local governments. We employ semi-structured interviews with experts and regional stakeholders in order to understand the best practices in vocational education in Zhejiang province. We argue that regional economic development, local government leadership, and innovative school administrators are central to the success of schools. In particular this triangular relationship works when it fosters cooperation between enterprises and schools. School-enterprise corporation is essential to addressing many of the previous weaknesses of China's vocational education model—contributes to high quality teacher and student training, high-tech equipment, and high student recruitment that attract and prepare the students for real world employment. These innovations make the local education system more responsive to the demands of the marketplace and facilitate the transition to a service economy by developing high-skilled workers in emerging industries.