Pingyao integrates talent cultivation, industrial development

Pingyao county in Jinzhong city, North China's Shanxi province, has coordinated the demand for talented workers in various industries and the cultivation of highly skilled students in vocational schools in recent years in order to boost industrial development by integrating the two.

In response to the layout of the industrial chain for new energy vehicles in Jinzhong, Pingyao has promoted closer coordination between vocational schools and enterprises in terms of their teaching resources, curriculum development, talent cultivation, and team building for teachers.

In 2023, Pingyao Modern Engineering Technology School signed an agreement with Shanxi Geely Auto Parts Co to jointly establish an industrial college. The company has invested more than 1.3 million yuan ($180,562.90) in providing the school with six training vehicles and 17 sets of related automotive parts, as well as establishing a high-standard training base for interns interested in the application and maintenance of new energy vehicles. 

Based on the cultivation of high-skilled talents in the field of new energy vehicles, the county has modularized the school's talent cultivation system to meet the needs of enterprises, forming a collaborative mechanism for the deeper integration between industry and education. 

The county has also normalized activities such as inviting master craftspeople to visit schools and arranging professional teachers to work in enterprises. Schools have sent students for on-site training at enterprises each year to improve their professional competence and capabilities. In recent years, a total of 233 students in Pingyao have participated in on-site learning at various enterprises. 

Pingyao has also provided opportunities for outstanding students who shine during on-site training to go abroad for project learning and to gain practical experience, with the aim of nurturing high-skilled talents who are proficient in industrial technologies. 

So far, the county has carried out 16 on-site training sessions in enterprises, benefitting 500 participants. In national and provincial competitions for new energy vehicle testing and the maintenance of vocational skills, the county has won one national third-place prize and 11 provincial-level first-place prizes. 

The employment rate of local graduates remains at 95 percent, and the proportion of graduates who have found employment related to their majors has increased to 90 percent.