The parallel session of the "Development of Quality Assurance Systems for Vocational Education" of 2024 World Vocational and Technical Education Development Conference was held in Tianjin on Nov. 21.

The event was hosted by the Ministry of Education of China, the National Commission of China for UNESCO, and the Tianjin Municipal People's Government, and organized by the Education Quality Evaluation Agency of the Ministry of Education (EQEA), and co-hosted by Tianjin Maritime College. The conference attracted over 200 attendees, including education experts, scholars, and government officials from both home and abroad. They engaged in in-depth discussions on three key topics: international comparisons, innovative practices and the role of school-enterprise cooperation in vocational education quality assurance.

Kouaro Yves Chabi, Minister of Secondary Education, Technical and Vocational Training of Benin, Camélia Ntoutoume-Leclercq, Minister of National Education, Vocational Education and Civic Training of Gabon and Ma Jie, Deputy Director of the Office of National Education Inspection of the Ministry of Education of China, delivered keynote speeches.

Ge Daokai, Director of the Committee on Education, Health, and Sports of the CPPCC Jiangsu Provincial Committee, Vice President of the China Association of Higher Education, and Chairman of the Institute for Modernization of Education, provided a comprehensive review of the evolution and characteristics of vocational education quality evaluation, noting the trend towards diversification of evaluation bodies, a shift towards multi-dimensional evaluation content, and the adoption of varied evaluation methods on a global scale. He also highlighted the emerging features such as the combination of periodic evaluation with dynamic monitoring, a focus on student-centered evaluation, and the importance of establishing cooperation and exchange mechanisms.

The parallel session featured three specialized discussions where 14 experts shared their insights and approaches to developing quality assurance systems for vocational education.

In the specialized discussion on "International Comparisons in Vocational Education Quality Assurance", Craig Robertson, CEO of the Victorian Skills Authority, Australia, shared Australia's typical experience in establishing a vocational education quality assurance system. He noted that the curricula, competitions, and standards are pivotal elements in the development of quality assurance systems for vocational education, and emphasized outcome-oriented curricula, diversification of competitions, and closely aligning operational standards with individual capabilities.

Kalaichelvi V Ponnambalam, Executive Director of CQ TEC TVET College, noted that the innovative practices in vocational education quality assurance are ongoing globally, which include technology-driven quality monitoring, competency-oriented evaluation models, and a focus on soft skills and lifelong learning.

Timothy Gilbert, Vice President of Melbourne Polytechnic, proposed the establishment of an industry-led, government-supported system. He stressed that teachers should possess practical industry skills and production experience, as well as maintain an open attitude towards continuous improvement of evaluation.

Serhiy Serbin, Dean of the Mechanical Engineering Institute of the Admiral Makarov National University of Shipbuilding, provided a detailed account of the curriculum framework related to the high-skill teaching based on cases of the cultivation of high-skill talents in shipbuilding.

Sun Yunmao, Party Secretary of Shandong Business Institute, presented an internal governance model based on a "governance community," which is characterized by the integration of diverse stakeholders, a networked structure, collaborative functions, and market-oriented mechanisms.

In the specialized discussion on "Innovative Practices in Vocational Education Quality Assurance", Chiu Sau Mee, Deputy Executive Director of Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications, detailed the role and the vocational qualification assessment system of the council, emphasizing Hong Kong's efforts to bolster vocational development pathways through enhanced recognition of talents' prior learning experience.

Liu Yunsheng, Party Secretary and Director of the Chongqing Educational Evaluation Institute, outlined Chongqing's exploration and practices in enhancing the effectiveness of the vocational education quality assurance system. This includes the implementation of comprehensive three-dimensional monitoring, a focus on cross-disciplinary integrated evaluation, and the promotion of cross-border interactive accreditation.

Qian Rui, Chairman of Beijing Jingyeda Technology Co., Ltd., shared insights on the construction of an industry chain-job chain-technology chain-professional (group) curriculum system blueprint.

Ma Liangjun, Deputy Party Secretary and President of Hebei Jiaotong Vocational and Technical College, provided a systematic exposition of the "four-layer multi-dimensional" evaluation system. This system is built upon a data foundation and intelligent information platform, with a focus on design concepts, construction methods, and the effectiveness of implementation.

In the specialized discussion on "The Role of School-Enterprise Cooperation in Vocational Education Quality Assurance", Rankin Dean Mathew, Executive Dean of the School of Humanities and Business, National Union Institute of Technology, New Zealand Institute of Technology, elucidated through cases of close school-enterprise cooperation that the integration of industry and education, along with school-enterprise cooperation, are crucial for vocational education quality assurance..

Li Shunhu, Deputy Secretary General of the China Society of Automotive Engineers, highlighted the professionalism and effectiveness of industry organizations in promoting industry-education integration, school-enterprise cooperation, and vocational education quality assurance from the perspective of evaluating the matching of talent supply and demand for typical technical skill positions in vocational colleges. He proposed the establishment of a new evaluation model for vocational college, spearheaded by industry organizations with enterprises taking the lead.

Liang Kedong, President of Jinhua University of Vocational Technology, advocated for improving the quality of industry-education integration under the collective governance of all stakeholders. The university is pioneering a "five shared" quality governance model based on the "industry-education community" concept and the core elements of industry, academia, research, training and innovation.

Pan Haisheng, Vice Dean of the School of Education, Tianjin University, emphasized the need to clarify industry orientations and enhance the adaptability of vocational education. He suggested that schools and enterprises should mutually empower each other to boost their school-running capabilities and that enterprises should play a pivotal role in evaluations to foster a reciprocal approach.

Zhou Baoping, Party Secretary of Yellow River Conservancy Technical Institute, underscored the significance of school-enterprise cooperation in enhancing the quality of vocational colleges in the internationalization of school-running.

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