By Wang Kai

 

BEIJING, Mar 10 (China Economic Net) –In Indonesia, a new smart manufacturing center is equipping the local workforce with urgently needed skills; in Ethiopia, vocational trainees are elevating local manufacturing to high-tech production; in Pakistan, a state-of-the-art maize harvester, operated by a machinery expert, is enhancing agricultural efficiency…These stories underscore the transformative impact of Luban Workshop, a global initiative driving innovation and skill development in developing nations.

 

Over the past years, China's Luban Workshop, an international vocational education initiative launched in 2016, has made remarkable strides in enhancing vocational education cooperation across Asia, Africa, and Europe. With over 30 workshops established globally, the program has trained nearly 10,000 degree-seeking students and provided vocational training to more than 31,000 individuals, contributing to meeting the growing demand for skilled labor in partner countries.

 

Underpinned by China's in strength in engineering, agriculture, and technology, over 50 specialized programs are offered tailored to the industrial needs of recipient nations, such as intelligent technology, new energy, advanced manufacturing, railway operations, etc.

 

Professor Zhang Shuibo, deputy to China's top legislative body, the National People's Congress, and Dean of the School of International Project Management of Tianjin University, highlights international recognition of Luban Workshop's teaching approach, the Engineering-Practice-Innovation-Project (EPIP) model, which teaches students through real-scenario projects. "In Portugal, educators have acknowledged EPIP's advantages over traditional European project-based learning, citing its practical approach and creative problem-solving emphasis," he said.

 

Luban Workshops have also contributed to shaping national education systems. Nearly 20 international vocational education standards developed under the initiative have been formally adopted by partner countries. Thailand, for instance, established a dedicated research center to promote China's vocational education model, while the UK incorporated Chinese culinary education standards into its national qualification framework. 

 

As the initiative continues to expand, Zhang emphasize the need for high-level teachers and better cross-cultural understanding in this global initiative. 

 

"A shortage of qualified bilingual instructors in partner countries remains a hurdle, and gaps in education philosophies, industry standards, and workforce requirements necessitate greater adaptation to local conditions," he said. 

 

He suggests establishing a nation-level teacher training base, and form complete set of professional, curriculum, and assessment standards to optimize the efficacy of vocational education.