On January 20, 2025, the "International Conference on Global Trends of Education Innovation," co-hosted by the China National Academy of Educational Sciences(CNAES) and People's Daily Online, was successfully held in Beijing. With the theme "Global Trends of TVET Innovation," the conference aimed to gather prominent experts, scholars, and practitioners in the education field to discuss the global development of vocational education, exchange insights, and analyze emerging trends in international vocational education innovation.

The event was attended by distinguished guests, including Li Zhi, Deputy Director General of the Department of Vocational and Adult Education at the Ministry of Education; Ye Zhenzhen, President of People's Daily Online; and Choi Mee Young, Education Chief, UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia. Li Yongzhi, President of the CNAES, released the "Report on International Innovation Trends in TVET."

The Report

The report identifies eight key trends in international innovation in vocational education:

• Trend I: Increasingly Highlighting Attributes of Public Good

Vocational education is gaining recognition for its role as a public good, driven by efforts from governments and international organizations. It plays a crucial role in providing basic public services, promoting social equity, alleviating poverty, achieving sustainable development, and driving societal and industrial advancement.

• Trend II: Transitioning from Uni-dimensional to Holistic Skills Development

The widespread adoption of digitalization and automation is redefining the content of technical skills and the structure of job demands. Traditional vocational skills characterized by simple operations and single-skill roles no longer meet societal and economic needs. Vocational education is transitioning from unidimensional skill training to multidimensional personal development, aiming to cultivate “well-rounded individuals” rather than “job-specific workers.”

• Trend III: Highlighting Collaboration among Multiple Stakeholders and Diverse Provision

There is growing international consensus on building vocational education systems tailored to local contexts. Countries worldwide are developing multi-stakeholder collaboration mechanisms to deepen the integration of industry and education. By breaking free from traditional education models, governments, schools, enterprises, and society are working closely to ensure vocational education content aligns with market demands.

• Trend IV: Promoting Overall Transformation with Industrial Digitization

Under the dual pressures of the digital economy wave and industrial transformation, digital transformation has become a pivotal direction for global educational reform. On the one hand, digital technology empowers vocational education reform; on the other, vocational education facilitates industrial digital upgrading.

• Trend V: Supporting Lifelong Up-skilling and Re-skilling

With rapid advancements in technology and industrial transformation, job replacement rates are accelerating, making skill acquisition, renewal, and redefinition a continuous pursuit in future societies. To address the demands of learners for skill updates across their lifetimes, vocational education is evolving to be on-demand, flexible, and personalized.

• Trend VI: Enhancing Teachers' Professional Competence through the Inter-Embeddedness of Industry and Education

Internationally, there is increasing focus on providing diverse professional development pathways for vocational educators. Teachers are expected to possess both strong theoretical knowledge and extensive practical experience, enabling them to seamlessly switch between the roles of “educator” and “engineer.”

• Trend VII: Building Multi-Dimensional Legal Guarantee Systems

Rule of law is essential for the healthy development of vocational education. Many countries are advancing legal frameworks by emphasizing vocational education in fundamental education laws, enacting specialized legislation, refining qualification frameworks, and improving quality standards to ensure robust legal support for vocational education.

• Trend VIII: Promoting International Cooperation and Alignment of Standard Systems

Globalization has fostered closer economic, cultural, and social ties among nations, with transnational employment becoming a prevailing trend. Vocational education plays a critical role in facilitating the global mobility of skilled workers by developing internationally competitive talent, creating platforms for global learning and competitions, and promoting the co-establishment of regional and global vocational standards.

The report calls on globally to join hands in advancing vocational education innovation, contributing wisdom and strength to a brighter future for vocational education and the building of a shared future for humanity.

Key Highlights

The report, a significant research achievement of the CNAES, provides an in-depth analysis and interpretation of the latest concepts, policies, models, and practices in global vocational education development. It emphasizes collaborative efforts to advance high-quality vocational education globally, contributing to building a shared future for humanity and fostering stronger, greener, and healthier global development through the power of vocational education.

The report draws upon authoritative sources, including international and domestic academic journals, reports from international organizations, conference proceedings, and national policy documents. Based on bibliometric and qualitative analysis, country and organization case studies, and expert assessments using the Delphi method, the report offers data-driven insights into global trends in vocational education, focusing on its functional role, educational objectives, operational models, transformation directions, organizational structures, faculty development, governance systems, and international cooperation.

Keynote Speeches

• Andreas Schleicher, Director for the Directorate of Education and Skills, OECD, analyzed the current state and trends in international vocational skills assessments.
• Friedrich Huebler, Head of UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre for TVET, shared insights on vocational education innovation.
• Huang Hui, Deputy Director, Center for Vocational Education Development (CVED), Ministry of Education, China, offered suggestions for high-quality vocational education fostering holistic development.
• Frédérique Vidal, Former Minister, Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, France, discussed education and career transformation in the AI era.
• Gábor Halász, Professor Emeritus, Higher Education and Innovation Research Group, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University Eötvös Lóránd, Hungary, introduced EU-China policy innovations in vocational education-industry integration.
• Wang An, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Committee of CRRC Corporation Limited, shared experiences in establishing national industry-education integration communities.
• Liu Jiantong, Vice President and Secretary General of the 6th Council of the Chinese Society for Technical and Vocational Education, discussed China's practices in leveraging social organizations to advance vocational education.
• Cristian Aedo, Practice Manager for the East Asia and Pacific Region of the Education Global Practice, World Bank, outlined their priorities in supporting vocational education reforms.
• Jiang Bo, Vice President and Director of Academic Committee, China Adult Education Association, emphasized the mission of vocational education in building a learning society in China.
• Jouni Ahonen,Vice President of Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences in Finland, presented cross-border skills training pathways in his universities of applied sciences.
• Zhu Zhiting, Professor at East China Normal University, explored the practical directions for empowering the new quality development of TVET through digital intelligence technologies.
• Arai Satoshi, Unit Chief, Overseas Education Research Unit II, Analytical Research Planning Division, Education Policy Bureau, Japan, shared “Vocational Education” along with Learning City Construction in Japan: A Case Study of “Certified Social Educator”
• Xu Jianling, President of Shenzhen Polytechnic University, offered recommendations on the international development path for high-quality vocational education.

Roundtable Discussion

During the roundtable discussion, Yang Jin, former ambassador and permanent delegate of China to UNESCO, Zhao Zhiqun, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor in the Institute of Vocational and Adult Education, Beijing Normal University, Alison Dell, Minister Counselor of Australian Embassy in China; Hong Wei, President of Beijing Information Technology College; Leticia Frazao Leme, Minister Counselor of Embassy of Brazil in China; and Li Zhongbao, Assistant President of Deputy General Manager of Digital Education Division of Glodon Company Limited, exchanged views on "TVET and Global Sustainable Development."

Practice Exploration and Sharing

In this session, Wang Qi, Jin Shanguo, Huang Yan, and Zhang Yong, Chief Inspector of the People’s Government of Qingyang District, Chengdu, delivered thematic speeches on "Vocational Education Practice Innovation."

Conclusion

The opening ceremony was chaired by Yu Fayou, Vice President of the CNAES, while Li Xiaoqiang, Vice President, delivered the closing speech. Conducted in a hybrid format, the conference brought together over 200 representatives from international organizations, government agencies, vocational institutions, general universities, industries, and research institutions, fostering a platform for meaningful dialogue and collaboration.