China has been striving to establish a dual training system similar to the European model for over two decades, but with limited success. The government mandated that half of all middle school graduates should attend vocational training centers four years ago, but this move was met with concern from parents who saw vocational schools as stigmatized and less prestigious than universities. However, in countries like Switzerland, Germany and Austria, vocational training is highly respected and leads to well-paid professions.
Despite an increase in the number of university graduates in China, there is still a shortage of well-trained skilled workers, especially 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 control 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 universities produce a large number of academics, there is an oversupply of graduates in the job market leading to challenges in 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 as a solution to unemployment among academics but this idea has been met with skepticism despite government’s efforts to address skills gap and unemployment issues; there are still significant challenges to overcome