Vocational schools 'in demand' as parents worry about child unemployment

Once a last resort for underperforming students, vocational schools are now highly sought after by parents and students due to attractive job prospects after graduation.

Early one summer morning, numerous parents formed long queues outside Changping Vocational School in Beijing, hoping to secure an enrollment spot for their children. Some even arrived the day before, waiting through the night.

"If my child studies industrial robotics, companies will eagerly recruit them, promising employment even before graduation", a parent of a 15-year-old told China Daily.

By early afternoon, the school had to announce the cessation of admissions, having already met its enrollment quota, days ahead of schedule.

This trend is not limited to Beijing. Vocational high schools and colleges, particularly in industrial manufacturing hubs like Shandong and Guangdong provinces, have seen a surge in applications, far exceeding available places.

This shift stems from current labor market realities. Each year, China's higher education system produces a record number of university graduates, leading to fierce competition for many positions in technology, finance, and administration. A significant number of young graduates with bachelor's degrees face unemployment or underemployment.

Meanwhile, as China prioritizes high-end manufacturing, robotics, and artificial intelligence, its labor market faces a severe shortage of skilled technicians. The demand for master's degree holders decreased from 20% in 2024 to 17% in 2025, while demand for vocational program graduates increased from 8,5% to 11%.

In fact, vocational school graduates received job offers at a significantly higher rate than all other groups in 2024, according to Sixth Tone.

Wang Heye, founder of Liangyou Education, a vocational education consulting firm in Beijing, noted a changing societal perception of skills-based education. Previously, vocational training was often considered a "last resort" for students with lower academic performance. However, more families now view it as a practical and promising path to career success.

This turning point is driven by the boom in new industries, broad employment prospects, opportunities for further education, and strong government support.

In its master plan for education development for the 2026-2030 period, China prioritizes building a modern vocational education system. The country aims to establish approximately 60 high-quality vocational colleges and 160 key training clusters, integrated with major industrial supply chains. The plan also includes goals to create 100 school-enterprise alliances and 20 national-level industry-specific linkage communities. The government is committed to supporting the establishment of more practical training centers and upgrading training equipment.

According to China's Ministry of Education, the country currently has nearly 8.400 vocational education institutions, including approximately 6.700 secondary vocational schools, 1.500 vocational colleges, and 90 applied universities (vocational universities). The total number of students enrolled in these institutions is 29,37 million.