International perspectives on cultivating high-quality bachelor's degrees in vocational education: Insights, experiences, and practices from overseas universities

Abstract

Cultivating high-quality technical and skilled professionals is essential for building a modern economic system and ensuring there is a balance between workforce supply and demand. Currently, there are various challenges associated with pilot programs offering undergraduate-level vocational education in China, including unbalanced training structures, limited curricular diversity, and inadequate systemic coordination. To address these issues, in this study, we employed a comparative case study methodology to examine the practices of several esteemed overseas universities in developing high-quality, undergraduate-level programs in vocational education. We systematically analyzed the training objectives, curriculum design, and support systems of these programs and categorized the associated practices as research-oriented, practice-oriented, and integration-oriented models. Drawing on the valuable insights revealed by this study will support China's goal of developing a skilled workforce that meets the demands of a rapidly evolving economy.