According to the Chinese Ministry of Education, China now has the world's largest vocational education system with 9.28 million newly-enrolled students and 26.85 million registered students in 2018.
Vocational education in the country is separated into secondary vocational and higher vocational systems. In 2018, there were 11,700 vocational education institutions in the country including 10,300 secondary vocational schools and 1,418 senior/higher vocational colleges.
In order to meet the intellectual and human resource demands in key growing industries, China launched its Implementation Plan on National Vocational Education Reform in 2019. This follows a reported decline in China's skilled labour force over recent years.
Being part of a world-class VET system, Australian providers are well-positioned to contribute to vocational education developments in China.
Austrade's China Skills Heat Map highlights the unique skills needs and priority discipline areas across several Chinese provinces. The report aims to provide an understanding of the vocational education landscape in China and to highlight opportunities for Australian providers intending to enter the market.
