Datong Vocational and Technical College of Coal [Photo provided to shanxi.chinadaily.com.cn/datong]

The Datong Vocational and Technical College of Coal is a higher vocational college approved by the Shanxi Provincial People's Government and the Ministry of Education. Established in 1975, it initiated higher vocational education in 1999, one of the earliest institutions in Shanxi Province to do so. Over the past 40 years, it has adhered to the coal-oriented concept. According to the 2018 Competitiveness Ranking of Higher Vocational Colleges in China, it ranked 597th in the country and 10th in Shanxi.

Located in Datong, the coal capital of China and a famous historical and cultural city, the college has an area of 250,000 square meters, a construction area of 173,500 square meters, a library collection of 408,800 books, and teaching instruments valued at 68.83 million RMB ($9.95 million). There are 464 faculty members and 266 full-time teachers. At the same time, 139 technical experts from enterprises and scholars from universities are employed as visiting professors, or part-time teachers. There are more than 4,000 full-time students and more than 790 students engaged in continued education. Training of various types for more than 12,000 people (including individuals taking more than one session) is carried out every year.

The college has schools for mining engineering, mechanical and electrical engineering, coal chemical engineering, construction engineering, economic management and information engineering, as well as departments of technical secondary training, public basic education and adult education. It operates a training center to provide these classes. There are 10 specialty categories, and 28 higher vocational specialties, nine of which are focused on secondary vocational skills. Two of the specialties, coal mining technology and electromechanical integration technology, are specified in the "Plan of the Central Government to Support Higher Vocational Colleges to Improve Specialty Construction". In addition, coal chemical technology is a featured specialty of Shanxi Province, coal mining technology and mine surveying are key training specialties of Shanxi Province, mine surveying, mine ventilation and safety, and engineering costs are key specialties supported by Shanxi Province and the school's training bases of coal mining technology and electromechanical integration technology are demonstrative training bases of Shanxi Province.