As Chinese companies accelerate their global expansion, overseas bases are increasingly seeking skilled workers who understand Chinese technical standards while also possessing strong language and communication skills.

In response, vocational colleges across Jiangsu are joining forces with leading enterprises to open up employment pathways for Chinese students while cultivating local skilled talent in partner countries.

Jiangsu now has 47 vocational colleges in higher education operating 103 overseas institutions and programs in 24 countries. Among them, the Zheng He Academy initiative, launched in 2022, has grown to 30 institutes.

At Jiangsu University of Architectural Technology, the Overseas XCMG Class was launched in 2017. Ding Yi, a member of the first cohort, recalled that beginning in his second year, he took part in rotational training on the production lines of Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group, or XCMG.

After graduation, Ding joined XCMG and worked in countries including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In 2020, when a crane broke down in the Saudi desert, he drove for more than three hours to reach the site and fixed the problem in just 10 minutes. Six years later, he has risen to become a business supervisor.

Programs such as the Overseas XCMG Class have so far helped XCMG cultivate more than 300 highly skilled technical professionals.

A similar model is taking shape in the new energy sector. Nanjing University of Industry Technology signed a cooperation agreement with CATL in late 2025, with the joint cultivation of internationally oriented skilled professionals identified as a key area of cooperation.

The cooperation builds on the university's long-standing strengths in new energy, electrical engineering and automation, as well as its experience in international vocational education. These experiences have enabled the university to combine its well-established training system with the technical standards of leading enterprises.

Zhang Haining, dean of the university's School of International Education, noted that overseas factories often have requirements concerning the proportion of local employees. This means vocational education must go beyond training Chinese students for overseas employment and also cultivate local workers who understand Chinese standards.

Jiangsu has accumulated extensive experience in this area. Since 2021, Changzhou University of Information Technology has partnered with vocational colleges in Thailand on a "1.5+1.5" joint training program. Thai students spend their first 1.5 years studying in Thailand and another 1.5 years in China, earning dual diplomas from the two institutions upon graduation.

According to Wang Hongkai, dean of the university's School of Overseas Education, the program aims to equip local students with Chinese-language skills, professional expertise and an understanding of the management practices and workplace culture of Chinese companies.