Automobile repair major students of Shaxi Vocational School of Zhongshan receiving professional training.[File photo/Zhongshan Daily]

Local education authority recently released the "Annual Report on Secondary Vocational Education Quality 2018 of Zhongshan". The report shows that, during the 2017-2018 period, 11 secondary vocational schools in Zhongshan opened a total of 115 majors. Local vocational schools also canceled 8 majors and added another 5 to match Zhongshan’s industries.

The major setups in local vocational schools always integrate with the Zhongshan's industrial structure. The report shows that in 2018 a total of 89 majors were opened for information technology, processing and manufacturing, finance and business, as well as culture and art to fulfill the labor demand of the city's major industries. 

Besides, much more secondary vocational graduates choose to get jobs in Zhongshan. Statistics show that, in 2018, total 4,169 (94%) of 4,435 secondary vocational graduates stayed and worked in Zhongshan, up 23.91% year-on-year. Over 64% (2,856) of these graduates were employed by local industries, up 5% from a year earlier.

Zhongshan also pursues characteristic and innovative development for vocational education, also according to the report. In 2014, for instance, the Sino-British vocational education international cooperation demonstration base settled in Zhongshan. In 2016, Zhongshan became the first modern apprenticeship pilot city nationwide, with 7 majors in 7 schools were selected pilot majors.

The beauty course of Zhongshan NO.1 Secondary Vocational School was one of the 7 pilot majors. In 2017, Zhongshan established education collaboration with Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province. Zhongshan will cultivate 700 vocational students per year for Zhaotong City since then.

However, the report stresses that Zhongshan vocational education is facing some problems, such as imbalance of development, low level of major setting, and others.