ANTANANARIVO, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- In the garage of China Railway Construction Corporation Limited on the southern outskirts of Antananarivo, Madagascar's capital, Nancy Ratianarinoro carefully adjusts the position of a vehicle's wheels. A recent graduate of Madagascar's Luban Workshop with a degree in automotive maintenance, she is refining her skills before officially entering the workforce.

"The equipment here is similar to what we used during our training, which makes it easier to get to grips with," the 21-year-old said confidently.

At the Polytechnic School of the University of Antananarivo, Francia Rakotondraibe, another Luban Workshop graduate, demonstrates the operation of a hydraulic and pneumatic transmission device as a teaching assistant.

"Even as a trainee, I feel I'm one of the pillars of their business because I'm focusing on automation, and few students have had as much practical work as we have," she said, referring to her current internship at a major construction firm.

Established in February 2022 through a partnership between Chinese institutions and the University of Antananarivo, the Luban Workshop in Madagascar has already trained more than 100 students across four disciplines: automotive maintenance, industrial electricity, information technology, and mechanical engineering.

After three years of training, the first cohort of 29 students has graduated, most of whom have secured jobs with major companies, while others have opted to continue their studies.

"Luban Workshop graduates are highly sought after in the local job market. Even second- and third-year students are already receiving job offers," said Edmond Randriamora, head of the Electrical Engineering Department and a teacher at the workshop.

Randriamora attributes this demand to the program's emphasis on practical training, noting that the curriculum is designed with 25 percent theory and 75 percent hands-on practice, making graduates highly adaptable to industry needs.

With support of the Sino-African cooperation framework for vocational education, the workshop has set up an automotive maintenance training base and equipped several specialized classrooms with advanced teaching equipment.

Faniry Emile Rakotondrainibe, head of the mechanical engineering program, is proud to showcase the workshop's computer numerical control (CNC) machines, which are used to manufacture mechanical parts with high precision and efficiency. "This type of teaching equipment is unique in Madagascar," he said.

He acknowledged that most manufacturing companies in the country still rely on manual machine tools, while CNC machines offer superior precision and speed. "Mastering this technology is essential for the country's industrial modernization," he stressed.

Madagascar has been actively pursuing economic transformation through its national revitalization plan, including the "One District One Factory" initiative to boost industrialization across the country.

Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Loulla Chaminah said the establishment of the Luban Workshop and Madagascar's close collaboration with China in vocational education align with the nation's broader development strategy.

The introduction of advanced technological equipment, combined with a strong focus on equipping young engineers and technicians with practical skills, will not only significantly accelerate local industrialization but also enhance the country's human capital, she added. Enditem

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