As summer vacation arrives, many teachers at vocational colleges in Guangdong seem to be even busier.
Professional teachers from the Aachen Industry 4.0 Application Research Center of Shunde Polytechnic University (referred to as "Shunde Polytechnic" for short) went to Midea Group's factory in Thailand to provide skill training on the use of new instruments and equipment for Thai employees; the training room of the School of Automotive Engineering at Shenzhen Polytechnic University is conducting tests on power batteries for new energy vehicles while providing online technical guidance to overseas colleges and universities...
In the past, Guangdong started with the "three-plus-one compensation" foreign trade processing model and gradually moved up to the mid-to-high end of the global industrial chain.
Today, the workshops and supply chains of Guangdong's manufacturing industry have extended overseas, and vocational education has also realized the model of "education following production output", becoming a "soft power" supporting the globalization of Guangdong's manufacturing sector.
Currently, the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" Initiative has entered its second golden decade, and the co-constructing countries are in a critical stage of industrialization. On the other hand, the rapid development of emerging industries such as new energy vehicles, artificial intelligence, and the digital economy has also spawned vocational education cooperation in related fields.
The new energy vehicle industry serves as a good observation window. Taking Guangdong as an example, its new energy vehicle output accounts for one-fourth of the national total, with a strong momentum of "going global". Automakers such as GAC Group, BYD, and XPeng are accelerating the construction of overseas factories.
A school administrator also stated that regions including Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa, and South America have the most urgent demand for skilled talents in the new energy vehicle industry. Most of these regions are still in the era of traditional fuel-powered vehicles, and the overseas expansion of the new energy vehicle industry urgently requires the latest teaching equipment, resources, and methods.
In 2024, GAC Aion, Guangdong Communication Polytechnic, Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University (Thailand), and Chelaf International Education Group signed the "Strategic Cooperation Agreement on Joint Construction of GAC Aion Industry-Education Integration International Talent Training and Innovation & Entrepreneurship Base". Meanwhile, GAC Aion's first overseas intelligent ecological factory was completed in Rayong Province, Thailand. In March 2025, the "Lingnan Craftsman College" – co-founded by Guangzhou Panyu Polytechnic, GAC Aion, Thailand Jinhui, and Chelaf International Education Group – was unveiled in Bangkok. It will develop customized courses covering new energy vehicle production, testing, and sales, and build an intelligent training center.
The practical evolution of individual vocational colleges is driving a gradual increase in the international recognition of China's vocational education standards. The golden rule that "industry follows the market, and education follows industry" remains applicable at all times.
With thousands of vessels competing for progress, the "going global" of vocational education has entered a deep-water phase. Interviewees also mentioned many challenges, such as differences in cultural and educational habits, the pressure of sustained capital investment, and the long-standing bottleneck in mutual recognition of standards. In the future, it is urgent to pool efforts from multiple parties to continuously enhance the brand influence of China's industries and their supporting vocational education systems in the international market, and maintain a close alignment between the direction of talent training and market demand.