Vocational schools cast off the shadow of stigma

Sometimes, dealing with customers can be hard, but he tells himself to do the best he can and to try to avoid conflicts.

His supervisor has more than 20 years' experience in restaurant management, and Ma said he wants to learn as much as he can from him.

"I think it is a good thing to start work at a young age, as I can learn a lot from society. Rather than being book smart, I think I am street smart," he said.

Meanwhile, Liang Tong, a third-year student at Beijing Business School, said she chose to attend the institution to major in hotel management, even though her scores in the high school entrance exam were good enough for her to go to such a school.

Passionate about learning how to make coffee, Liang has an intermediate certificate from the Specialty Coffee Association, a nonprofit organization that represents thousands of coffee professionals, from producers to baristas worldwide.

Liang, who has worked at several coffee shops during the summer and winter vacations, said she can now make all kinds of coffee drinks on her own.

"Doing something I am interested in gives me a strong sense of achievement, and I am very happy doing my job," she said.