The Chinese Experience in Developing a Modern Vocational Education System

Abstract Vocational education is a core force underpinning the advancement of Chinese modernization and the implementation of the strategies of building China into a leading country in education and manufacturing. It is also an important foundation for the global response to industrial transformation, the promotion of youth employment, and the advancement of common development. Taking the evolution of policies and institutions as its main thread, this article divides the development of China’s modern vocational education system into three stages: institutional foundation-laying, structural formation, and modernization-oriented upgrading. It systematically reviews the developmental trajectory of the system from inception to establishment, from establishment to comprehensive formation, and from comprehensive formation to strength. On this basis, the article distills five core lessons that run through the entire process of system construction, thereby providing a comprehensive answer to the fundamental practical question of “what to uphold and how to build” a modern vocational education system with Chinese characteristics. The Chinese experience in vocational education development systematically elaborated in this study not only provides essential guidance for the high-quality development of China’s modern vocational education system, but also contributes Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to global vocational education governance and high-quality development.