ASIIN and the Sino-German Alliance of Enterprises and Education (SGAEE e.V.) have placed their cooperation in vocational education and training on a strategic footing. Dr Siegfried Hermes, Deputy Managing Director of ASIIN, and Zhenan Li, Managing Director of SGAEE, signed the agreement at the Sino-German Congress on Vocational Education in Suzhou in mid-September.

The two organisations have worked together in vocational education for some time, particularly on the development of quality standards, curricula, and qualification programmes. The new agreement deepens this cooperation.

The Sino-German congress, co-hosted by SGAEE, brought together specialists from academia, industry and vocational education in both countries. Discussions focused on dual training models, securing the supply of skilled workers, the exchange of best practice and cooperation between the industrial and education sectors. ASIIN contributed a presentation on quality assurance in vocational education and continuing training, drawing on its long-standing experience in the certification of continuing education programmes and providers.

The agreement comes at a time when vocational education in China is gaining significantly in standing. The revised Vocational Education Law of 2022 placed vocational and general education on an equal footing and strengthened the involvement of companies in training. Quality assurance and reliable standards are becoming correspondingly more important — for education institutions and for German companies training staff on the ground alike.