A job fair targeting vocational school students is held in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, July 7. [Photo/jsenews.com]

Although loath to admit it, many Chinese students and parents are biased against vocational schools as they think the people lack academic competence. 

But in East China's Jiangsu province, this fixed idea is collapsing, with local schools gearing up to enhance their overall strength on one hand, and swarms of technical students making their names in domestic and international competitions. 

The Changzhou Technician College (CTC) is a typical example. 

With the 20-year-old Song Biao becoming the first Chinese to claim the Albert Vidal Award in the WorldSkills Competition last year, his alma mater, CTC, has also become a top choice for junior school graduates. 

Zhao Zhengwen, CTC's vice-president, said the school has finished a new round of student admissions in just two days. 

The possibility of becoming a technician and making a living with their technical abilities is the reason why more students and parents are changing their attitudes toward vocational schools. 

"Technical workers are also elites," said the father of Li Ronghua, who had just accompanied his son to register for a five-year vehicle maintenance and repair course July 7.