A Comparative Analysis of Vocational Educational Reforms in Germany and China

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), with the emergence of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and the Internet of Things (IoT), and global socioeconomic transformation in the digital era resulted in a growing demand for a large share of well-educated and competent future-ready young skilled workers. Vocational education and training (VET) has been long regarded as one of the triggers of socio-economic progress in most nations, while socioeconomic development conversely shapes its VET.

The international vocational education and training landscape is responding to these developments with a range of measures and approaches. Jia Li, Technical University of Munich (TUM) is focusing on tertiary (vocational) education, comparative education, education policy and reforms. As part of her master's degree, she is looking at the reforms in Germany and China.

She has been supervised by Julia Olesen, GOVET, as part of the mentor programme since 2022. In an interview with GOVET, she talks about her research topic.

As part of your master's degree, you are looking at reforms in vocational education and training and comparing Germany and China. You are analysing how both countries are adapting their VET systems to developments such as the fourth industrial revolution and socio-economic transformation. What reform approaches do you observe in Germany?

At the turn of the 21st century, high-income nations with successful experience in VET, e.g., Germany, have adapted their education system as a response to the progression of the European Union in the framework of the Bologna and Copenhagen processes, respectively, for HE and VET. These reforms aimed to standardize qualifications, promote student mobility, and enhance the quality and attractiveness of European education systems on a global scale. Germany, for instance, implemented measures to align its VET programs with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) to ensure greater transparency and comparability of qualifications across Europe. However, despite these efforts, Germany has also faced a decline in participation in VET programs in recent years. Several factors contribute to this trend, such as demographic changes, increasing preference for academic pathways, and an evolving labour market. To counteract this decline, Germany has been exploring various strategies to modernize its VET system and make it more appealing. These include integrating more advanced technological training, offering more flexible learning pathways that combine elements of both VET and HE, and enhancing the overall image and prestige of vocational careers. By adapting to these new realities, Germany aims to maintain a robust and responsive VET system that continues to meet the needs of its economy and society.

How has vocational education and training developed in China since the beginning of the 21st century and how has the country reformed its vocational education and training system?

Low- and middle-income nations facing the middle-income trap, such as China, as one of the largest emerging economies, have shifted their focus to VET and offered the most extensive VET system in the world to reform their education system as many developed countries accomplished in the past. Since 2014, China has started to hold exploratory discussions on the modernization of vocational education and sought possibilities of upgrading HVE to the undergraduate level. According to the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, the enrolment rate has been expanded for HVE, with an additional more than 4 million students admitted over the past few years. In total, there were 11,500 vocational institutions and over 28 million students by the end of 2019 (VET and HVE).

In 2022, undergraduate vocational universities, the new type of HV institutions, have enrolled 76,300 students, an increase of 84.39% over the previous year, while all HVE institutes enrolled 5,389,800 students, including 542,900 students in five-year programs beginning at the junior high level.

In some regions, the minimum scores of the Nationwide Unified Examination for Admissions to General Universities and Colleges (also known as “Gaokao”) to be admitted to the vocational university are much higher than the control line for undergraduate programs. It highlights the “renaissance” of VET in China.

When you compare the approaches to reform and the measures taken in the two countries, what similarities and what differences do you notice?

Germany and China have adopted distinct approaches to reforming VET, reflective of their unique socio-economic contexts and developmental goals. Germany has embraced vocationalization as a main cornerstone of its educational system, more focusing on integrating vocational training with academic education to create a highly skilled workforce aligned with the demands of the 4IR. This approach, deeply rooted in the German dual education system, emphasizes practical training and apprenticeships, aiming to maintain a robust and responsive VET system amidst demographic shifts and evolving labour market needs. In contrast, China has positioned academization at the forefront of its educational reforms. The nation has significantly expanded its higher education sector, with a strong emphasis on HVE to support its rapid economic growth and socioeconomic transformation. China's strategy has involved scaling up enrollment in higher vocational institutions, modernizing its vocational education framework, and integrating vocational and general education. This has led to the establishment of numerous vocational universities and the elevation of vocational education to the undergraduate level, aiming to produce a workforce capable of meeting the global market's competitive demands.

Both countries, through their respective focuses on vocationalization and academization, illustrate the importance of tailoring educational reforms to national needs and global trends. Together, these approaches underscore the pivotal role of education in driving socio-economic progress and adapting to the challenges and opportunities of the digital era.

Author profile

Jia LI holds a Master’s degree in European Studies and Bachelor’s degree in English. She is pursuing her Ph.D. degree with research interests in higher (vocational) education, comparative education, education policy and reform.