Decent Jobs Thanks to Vocational Training
China is undergoing extensive structural change. Business models based on cheap labor are no longer viable because salaries have risen significantly in recent years. To continue to offer China’s young generation opportunities to find favorable employment, many vocational schools are striving to improve the quality of their training.
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Project NameDual VET Curriculum Optimization
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Project Phase2017
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FundingThis project is a TÜV Rheinland mandate.
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Thematic focusEducation and Vocational Skills
Preparing young people for today's economy
Traditionally, the education system in China is based on memorizing facts. However, these skills are no longer crucial in a modern economy. It is much more important to understand work processes in their entirety and to be able to carry these out professionally. The active participation of the learners also leads to higher levels of motivation.
Helvetas helps to improve vocational training by means of intensive cooperation with vocational schools in China, especially with regards to modern teaching methods for mechatronics training. So far, schools in Shenzhen and Tianjin have been actively supported.
Adapting dual vocational approaches to local conditions
Implementing training that focuses on decision-making competence and is structured according to learning fields represents a paradigm shift for teachers that can be difficult to shape. The learner is set to replace the teacher as the determining component of the training process. However, this can only be achieved if the individual is perceived as a self-reliant person and personal creativity is encouraged. This way of thinking also has social implications.
The realization of these training objectives goes hand in hand with the dual vocational training approach. Vocational training will only gain real practical relevance if companies can be persuaded to take on part of the responsibility. It is evident that more and more companies in China are prepared to provide training places, as it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to find qualified employees. This is a phenomenon that can be observed in many countries, even where there is high unemployment.
Helvetas, with its profound know-how in cooperative vocational training, helps to adapt dual approaches to local conditions, thereby creating more decent jobs and enabling individuals to play an active and self-determined role in society.
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