职业教育改革 (zhíyè jiàoyù gǎigé): Vocational education reform

China has vowed to cultivate a higher quality workforce and more skilled workers, and the State Council, China's Cabinet, recently issued an implementation plan for reform of the national vocational education system.

According to the plan, in the following five to 10 years, the vocational education and training system will be reformed to align with science and technology development trends and the demands of employers.

According to the plan, a pilot program whereby students study for diploma plus skills certificates will be launched this year. By 2020, it is expected 50 high quality higher vocational schools and 150 core specialties will have been established.

In order to promote craftsmanship in vocational education and cultivate more talents with high quality vocational skills, from this year, all new vocational education teachers will be required to have at least three years of work experience with a company and a vocational school diploma or above.

All sectors of society, especially enterprises, are encouraged to support the country's vocational education, with major companies encouraged to run their own vocational schools offering high-quality programs for skills learning.