A teacher instructs students on operating a lathe at Jiangsu Donghai Specialized Secondary School in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, in April. ZHANG KAIHU/FOR CHINA DAILY

Social recognition

Moreover, the lower social recognition and acceptance of vocational graduates have hampered the development of vocational education, which attracted the attention of government bodies and companies that wish to change people's stereotypical views of students who attend vocational colleges.

"I was told by my parents from childhood that only those kids with bad academic performance go to vocational schools and are trained as factory workers. It's a family honor being admitted to a university while a shame to go to vocational schools," said Chen Jiaming, a 34-year-old communications engineer in Beijing.

"These words are derogatory as I have colleagues who have mastered good skills," he said. "It seems that we've been taught that 'good children' should have a famous university degree and a respectable job with good pay. The long-standing stereotypical views about vocational students should be corrected, because I think what people can do matters rather than where they come from. All talent with good skills and knowledge deserve our respect."

Ye Junfeng, dean of Guangdong Machinery Technician College, said as the country needs a great number of scientists, the job market is also showing demand for skilled workers.

He said, thanks to government efforts to improve such workers' social status and salary, the public has shown a more inclusive attitude toward vocational education and skilled workers in the past few years. "The introduction of some world-class skill competitions also played an important role in helping change people's views.

"All in all, receiving vocational education is not a 'helpless' choice for students with poor academic performance, but a personal choice by these young people who have skills and enjoy technical research."

Zhang Honghao, the 23-year-old prize winner of information network cabling at the WorldSkills Competition 2022 (special edition), said skilled talent is a key power supporting the development of the country's manufacturing and innovation industries, and vocational schools play a very important role in producing such talent. He is now a teacher at Tianjin Electronic Information Technician College.

In October, the State Council, China's Cabinet, released guidelines that said China will produce batches of highly skilled workers to push forward the country's high-quality development, he said.

"While the future is full of challenges, I will do my best to foster more skilled workers with my knowledge and experience and guide them to contribute more to the country with their skills," he added.