The first World Vocational and Technical Education Development Conference (WVTEDC) will kick off in North China's Tianjin, from Aug 19 to 20. It's expected to be shaped into a first-class platform for promoting vocational education development, and become a brand with Chinese allure and global influence.
The logo of the World Vocational and Technical Education Development Conference [Photo provided to Tianjin.chinadaily.com.cn/lubanws]
Sponsored by the Ministry of Education (MOE), the National Commission of the People's Republic of China for UNESCO and the Tianjin government, the two-day event is set to gather 500 representatives from international organizations, domestic and foreign government agencies, enterprises, research institutions and vocational colleges in the beautiful port city, with an additional 300 attending online.
The much-anticipated conference will host a series of activities, including a main forum and 14 parallel forums, a plenary session of the World TVET League, a vocational college skills competition, and an industry-vocational education integration expo with the theme of "Vocational and Technical Education Development in the Post-Pandemic Era—New Changes, New Ways and New Skills".
The World Vocational and Technical Education Development Conference is to open at the National Convention and Exhibition Center in Tianjin. [Photo by Pan Yixuan]
The offline venue is located at the National Convention and Exhibition Center. Forum participants will gather to discuss digital economic empowerment, industry and education integration, poverty reduction and lifelong learning, as well as share experience and explore the direction and main tasks of global vocational education reform.
The MOE plans to hold the conference every two years based on the principles of achieving shared growth through discussion, collaboration and mutual learning.
World TVET League
China will launch a World Technical and Vocational Education and Training League, in collaboration with partners, to support global development.
The league, with 131 initial members, has been commissioned to build a vocational education-industry integration community, which it will achieve through strengthening cooperation in talent training, standards and curriculum co-construction, school-running capability improvements and academic exchanges.
The draft constitution has been completed, and will be deliberated in the afternoon of Aug 18.
In addition, the International Vocational and Technical Education Award Program (tentative name) will be launched at the opening ceremony of the WVTEDC on Aug 19, with the league being officially established at the closing ceremony on Aug 20.
World Vocational College Skills Competition
The 2022 World Vocational College Skills Competition kicked off online and in person in the northern port city of Tianjin, on Aug 8.
Nearly 1,000 players from 70 countries and regions have competed against and learned from one another in around20 venues in this beautiful port city.
A contestant competes in the 2022 World Vocational College Skills Competition in Tianjin. [Photo by Wu Yiwen]
With a theme of "showing off youth with skills for the future", two competition areas were set up in Tianjin municipality and Jiangxi province, comprising 15 competition and 8 exhibition events. The Tianjin competition area, which served as the main venue, hosted 13 competition and 8 exhibition events.
As the first of its kind hosted by China, the six-day competition focused on contestants' abilities in innovation, coordination and cooperation, and exchanges among vocational schools and enterprises.
