Skills conference helps the world connect

At the just-concluded 2024 World Vocational and Technical Education Development Conference held in Tianjin, Kalkidan, a 24-year-old Ethiopian, briefed visitors on an industrial robot-training platform at the Ethiopia Luban Workshop booth.

Lu Ban, a skilled all-around craftsman and inventor during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), is often referred to as the Chinese master of carpentry.

Co-hosted by the Ministry of Education, China's national commission for UNESCO and the Tianjin government, the conference ran from Nov 20 to 22 under the theme of "Innovation Empowers the Future, Skills Enlighten New Life". More than 1,200 delegates attended, including 600 from about 100 countries and regions.

Kalkidan received training from 2021 until September at the Luban Workshop in Ethiopia.

Established by the Tianjin University of Technology and Education and the Ethiopian Federal Technical and Vocational Training Institute, the workshop specializes in industrial robotics, mechatronics, industrial control, and industrial sensor technology, providing valuable skills to Ethiopian students in various fields.

At the Tianjin conference, Muferihat Kamil, Ethiopia's minister of labor and skills, praised China's Luban Workshop initiative, which has been providing advanced vocational training for Ethiopian youth since 2021.

"Through this collaboration, thousands of young Ethiopians have gained access to world-class technical and vocational training, equipping them with the knowledge and competencies required to thrive in today's rapidly evolving global landscape," Kamil said, adding that the two countries share a commitment to enhancing innovation and developing human capital.

To date, the Luban Workshop initiative in Africa has expanded significantly since its inception in March 2019, with 17 workshops established in 15 countries, including Egypt, Nigeria and Cote d'Ivoire. Providing high-level vocational education to young Africans, these workshops are an integral facet of Sino-African cooperation in talent development.

Offering a range of majors, including railway, machinery, electrical equipment, manufacturing, automobile, information technology, metallurgy, and e-commerce, the workshops have empowered more than 10,000 young people. Meanwhile, the Luban Workshop is also offering training programs in Tianjin, exemplifying its commitment to global educational collaboration.

Kalkidan is studying information and telecommunication engineering at the Tianjin University of Technology and Education. "I'm deeply impressed by the vocational education model here, which highlights the close integration of vocational education and industrial needs," she says, adding that she will return to her homeland after graduation to help train more vocational and technical talent.

China has established the world's largest vocational education system, with 11,133 vocational schools and nearly 35 million students enrolled by 2023, according to Peng Binbo, head of the education ministry's department of vocational and adult education.

More than 200 domestic vocational institutions have collaborated with other countries and regions to establish in excess of 400 educational institutions and projects overseas, official statistics show.