Effective skills supply and grand vocational education: Interdisciplinary thinking on China's vocational education

Abstract

Vocational education, the product of specialized division of labor in modern society, seeks to address the challenges of modern life by offering vocational culture and technical education. There are two opposite theoretical judgments on the function of vocational education. One argues that it is merely a means to produce diplomas for occupational monopoly, lacking efficacy in skill formation. Conversely, the other views it as a crucial carrier of effective skills supply and a significant comparative advantage in shaping national competitiveness. In China, the ongoing tension between the supply of diplomas and that of effective skills has long influenced the evolution of the vocational education system. It is urgent for China to revive Yanpei Huang's Grand Vocational Education (GVE) to achieve high-quality development of vocational education. Although there is still a long journey ahead, we have a promising future ahead in building a skill-based society where "the state values skills, society promotes skills, and individuals possess skills", as it underscores the significance of GVE.