From “Tianjin Initiative” to “Tianjin Consensus”: A Pathway Analysis of China’s Vocational Education Empowering the Construction of a Global Skills Ecosystem

Abstract The global skills ecosystem is undergoing continuous reshaping. In 2022 and 2024, China successively released the Tianjin Initiative and the Tianjin Consensus on World Technical and Vocational Education and Training Development: Declaration of Ministers of 32 Countries (hereinafter referred to as the “Tianjin Consensus”), providing practical and feasible solutions and pathways for the reshaping and upgrading of the global skills ecosystem. At the conceptual level, centering on skills, the development trajectory of global vocational education has been clarified by articulating the common essence of global vocational education, delineating the dual functions of individual and social development, and defining the developmental approach of deepening exchange and cooperation. At the objective level, guided by skills, the future direction of vocational education development has been determined, encompassing skill inclusiveness, skill innovation, and skill symbiosis. At the action level, with skills as the vehicle, the development pathways have been delineated, including prioritizing skills development, promoting dialogue and cooperation, deepening industry-education integration, strengthening teacher development, and refining quality standards. From the Tianjin Initiative to the Tianjin Consensus , China’s vocational education, with skills at its core, has outlined a clear pathway for the construction of a global skills ecosystem, offering Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions for the development of world vocational education.