Graduating students from the Nanjing Institute of Tourism and Hospitality display their works at an exhibition. [Photo/Xinhua Daily]

East China's Jiangsu province recently issued a guideline to promote the high-quality development of its modern vocational education.

According to the guideline, vocational institutes in the province are expected to produce more than 600,000 workers every year, and people with advanced skills should make up about 10 percent of Jiangsu's workforce by 2025. The province also aims to significantly improve the social status of technicians and increase the average starting salary of graduates from vocational schools.

To achieve these goals, Jiangsu will make efforts to build 100 top-quality medium-level professional schools and 50 high-level schools. It will also develop about 10 provincial-level research centers on textbooks for vocational education and 1,000 free online courses to offer students better resources.

Teachers at vocational schools are encouraged to practice their skills during stints with enterprises. By 2021, more than 80 percent of vocational school teachers in Jiangsu are expected to have occupational certifications.

In addition, institutes have been urged to offer new specialties related to strategic emerging industries and advanced manufacturing, such as biomedicine, artificial intelligence, integrated circuits, internet of things and high-end equipment. Majors that are oversupplied or have low employment should be called off or amalgamated.

Jiangsu has been encouraging listed companies or industry leaders to open vocational schools and is promising support in the form of preferential policies regarding finance, land-use and other aspects. The province is also helping vocational institutes cooperate with companies and build branches in other countries, including those along the Belt and Road.