HIGHER VOCATIONAL EDUCATION REFORM: MATCHING SKILLS TO MARKETS IN CHINA

Abstract

This review article explores the Higher Vocational education Reform: Matching Skills to Markets in China, and to propose plausibly and concrete steps policymakers and educational leaders can take to address those challenges to ensure the TVET system in preparing human capital, which is necessary for the construction of a knowledge economy as well as tackle poverty and unemployment. The study utilized a desk review research approach targeted review of literature from a variety of references such as studies, research journals, online newspapers, books, articles, and electronic databases, such as ERIC, ProQuest etc. were reviewed, summarized and documented. The study revealed that following the former leader Deng Xiaoping inspiration said, “Education should be oriented towards modernization, the world and the future” and the booming industry and growing factory system puts great pressure on the vocational education system in China to produce high skilful workers, the Government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) frequently a wide range of reforms have been introduced and implemented a radical expansion of  higher vocational education [HVE] from 1980 in response to the substantial increase in the demand for high-skill labour. Despite these positive indications, still, there is a shortage of highly skilled talents and skills mismatch in China due to the imperfection of curriculum, shortage of qualified teacher, weak monitoring & evaluation, and poor connections with industry. As a result of this, many college graduates are having trouble finding jobs; the increase in college graduates has outpaced the growth in jobs requiring college degrees. A failure to link the skills taught in TVET to those required in the labour market has long-term implications, not only for learners’ transitions but also for country’ economic competitiveness and many employers report difficulties in finding suitably skilled workers. Therefore, these issues highlight that the Government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) should consider implementing in response to the challenges identified in this paper.