(Yicai) July 7 -- Chinese university graduates are increasingly turning to vocational training to gain practical skills amid evolving job market demands.

Some 52 percent of graduates believe that returning to vocational schools would boost their employment prospects, citing a strong demand for hands-on, professional expertise, according to the findings of a 2024 survey by career portal Zhaopin.Com.

This trend reflects China’s ongoing industrial transformation toward high-end and green technologies -- sectors that increasingly require not just theoretical knowledge but also technical and practical skills.

To meet this need, vocational schools are introducing specialized programs that require applicants to have completed undergraduate degrees or higher. For example, central China's Zhengzhou Railway Vocational and Technical College has attracted widespread attention this year for targeting university graduates through programs that focus on electric multiple unit and high-speed railway maintenance technology, as well as railway traffic operation and management.

Zhengzhou Railway Vocational and Technical College is the only institute of its kind in Henan province and one of China’s leading vocational schools serving the national railway system, acting as a key talent hub for China Railway. Since 2018, it has offered majors designed for undergraduates seeking to shift toward more technical and hands-on professions.

Similarly, Guangdong Lingnan Institute of Technology has enrolled more than 150 students with a bachelor’s degree or higher who are pursuing technical skills training over the past two years. According to media reports, these students are primarily training to become psychological counselors, public nutritionists, and health managers. The age range of enrollees is broad, from 22 to 52 years old.

China has been actively working to bridge the gap between academic education and practical training. Since the launch of a pilot program for vocational undergraduate colleges in 2019 -- aimed at testing a dual-track higher education system -- the number of vocational institutions authorized to grant bachelor's degrees has grown to 87.

Editor: Emmi Laine