In recent years, the Chinese government has been working tirelessly to establish a dual training system similar to the European model. However, their successes have been limited, as many parents remain skeptical about the value of vocational training in China. Unlike in countries like Switzerland, Germany, and Austria, where vocational training is highly respected and leads to well-paid careers, there is still a stigma associated with vocational schools in China.
Despite an increase in the number of university graduates in China, there remains a shortage of well-trained skilled workers, particularly in industries like manufacturing. With the goal of modernizing industry and focusing on high technology, China is working towards creating a skilled workforce in areas like robotics and industrial automation. However, only about 30% of Chinese workers are considered skilled, lagging behind countries like Japan and Germany.
The Chinese government has been attempting to implement a dual training system for over two decades with limited success. While some foreign-funded projects have been successful in training young people in practical skills, there are challenges with standardization, quality, and lack of investment in vocational training facilities. Despite efforts to recruit university graduates for skilled worker positions, many graduates struggle to find suitable jobs that match their qualifications.
As China’s universities produce a large number of academics, there is an oversupply of graduates in the job market leading to challenges securing employment. Many parents are now encouraging postgraduate studies for their children hoping to improve their job prospects. However, the mismatch between the skills acquired in higher education and the demands of the labor market remains a persistent issue.
President Xi Jinping has suggested that young people should move to the countryside to help farmers with their work as a solution to unemployment among academics but this idea has been met with skepticism by many experts who believe that this approach will not address the root causes of unemployment among young people who lack relevant skills and experience.
In conclusion despite all efforts from government there are still significant challenges that need to be addressed before establishing a successful vocational training system in China such as improving standardization quality investment infrastructure development programs that focus on specific industries like robotics or industrial automation also addressing issues related postgraduate studies that lead to oversupply of graduates looking for jobs .
