Vocational education in China has undergone substantial changes over the past few decades as people's education concepts have developed, according to economist and Chairman of China Vocational Education Association Cheng Siwei.

2009 China International Vocational Education Forum?opened Monday in Changsha, the capital city of central China's Hunan Province.

In 2008, vocational and professional institutions enrolled 11 million new students, bringing the total number of students receiving a vocational education to more than 30 million, Cheng said at the 2009 China International Vocational Education Forum. The forum opened Monday in Changsha, the capital city of central China's Hunan Province. According to Cheng, vocational training has developed very fast over the years, with more than 100 million people in all work fields participating in various training courses.

Cheng Siwei, economist and Chairman of China Vocational Education Association, made a speech at the forum.

However, Cheng pointed out that China's booming vocational education is still in its primary stage. Compared with other forms of education, it is still the weakest link in the education industry due to slow infrastructure construction and system barriers. Improving the quality of education and maintaining stable development are two of the challenging tasks that lie ahead.

Statistics show that among employees working in the manufacturing and service industries, 50 percent are rural migrant workers, and less than 20 percent of those have received professional training. Furthermore, China is short of skilled workers and innovative talents, especially senior technicians. A structural adjustment in terms of talent levels is urgently needed for the industry to progress.

Cheng said vocational education is education for everyone. It plays an irreplaceable role in realizing fair education, creating jobs and improving the competitiveness of "made in China" products.

(China.org.cn by Zhang Yunxing, April 22, 2009)