Developing Adult Vocational Training Strategies for Chinese Higher Education Institutes under the Background of Industrial Revolution 4.0

Abstract

In the era of industrial revolution 4.0, digitalization, robotization and automation have accelerated occupational and skills transitions in China, the employment environment of China has become unprecedentedly volatile and unpredictable. The vocational training opportunities for Chinese workforces upskilling and reskilling along with the changes of employment environment are critical for them to secure the career life, and the key for the Chinese government to cope with the unemployment and maintain harmony in society. In consideration of maximum utilization of the forces of Chinese higher education institutes, this study aimed to develop adult vocational training strategies for Chinese higher education institutes to better organize their own adult vocational training programs and offer qualified vocational training opportunities for local workforces. This study was based on a qualitative design with 17 semi-structured key-informant interviews, thematic analysis method has been used to analyze the obtained data. As a result, adult vocational training strategies consisted of 1 vison statement, 6 goals, 31 actionable strategies have been identified.