The first Luban Workshop in the Americas was inaugurated in Managua, Nicaragua, marking a new milestone in China-Nicaragua cooperation on vocational education. Alongside the launch, the Engineering Practice Innovation Project (EPIP) Teacher Training Center was established in an effort to strengthen local capacity.

Jointly built by Tianjin University of Technology and Education, Tianjin Bohai Vocational Technical College, and Nicaragua's National Technological Training Institute (INATEC), the workshop supports Nicaragua's national poverty reduction plan.

The project involved a full campus renovation with an investment of about 110 million cordobas ($2.98 million). Modern teaching facilities will be installed, and four majors — IoT application technology, electrical automation, mechatronics, and mechanical manufacturing and automation — will be introduced.

Chinese and Nicaraguan educators jointly developed 16 bilingual textbooks and 165 micro‑lesson videos under the EPIP model. These standards, certified by INATEC, will be integrated into Nicaragua's national vocational education system. Teacher training has been prioritized, with four rounds of standardized EPIP programs completed, ensuring local instructors can independently deliver courses. The fifth phase began immediately after the inauguration.

The Nicaragua Luban Workshop kicks off a new chapter for China's vocational education in the Spanish‑speaking world. Both sides pledged to strengthen cooperation in management, resources, and equipment, aiming to build a benchmark project located in Nicaragua but wielding global influence.