World Vocational and Technical Education

About this journal

World Vocational and Technical Education is a peer-reviewed and interdisciplinary academic journal on vocational and technical education, which aims to provide a high-level exchange platform for experts and scholars in the fields of vocational and technical education research all over the world. The Journal publishes the results of studies on vocational and technical education from the disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives of area and comparative studies, philosophy, history, ethics, psychology, economics, politics, sociology, law, management, mathematics, engineering, and other disciplines. The topicality of the Journal includes a focus upon the development process of vocational and technical education, as well as the hot topics of common concern in various countries and regions (policies, systems, teachers, histories, developments).

World Vocational and Technical Education is sponsored by Tianjin University of Technology and Education (China), and co-published by De Gruyter (Germany) and Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press (China).

The editorial office is managed by Tianjin University of Technology and Education. Moreover, World Vocational and Technical Education is the only official journal of the World Vocational and Technical Education Development Conference and World TVET league.

A further Introduction from the Editor-in-Chief and notices of Congratulation on the launch of the new journal can also be found in the Supplementary Materials section below.

Themes and Topics

We welcome submissions on interdisciplinary themes and topics, including but not limited to:

Innovative development of world TVET in the digital era
Innovative development of world TVET teacher competence
Luban Workshop and world TVET development
Development and mutual recognition of international standards for vocational education
Development and reform of the National Qualification Framework System
Modern TVET system and system innovation
Innovative development of TVET at national and regional levels
TVET curriculum development theory and practice
TVET enabling world industrial upgrading and development
The Belt and Road Initiative and international cooperation in TVET
TVET and global poverty reduction
The historical evolution of TVET

For submission details please follow the Instructions for Authors or contact wvte@tute.edu.cn.

The first issue of this journal is scheduled to be published online in 2025.
Submissions are welcome!

Your Benefits

Fully sponsored Open Access publication

Research freely available for all to read and download

Authors retain copyright – articles published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY-4.0) License

Rapid publication times

Every article easily discoverable because of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and comprehensive abstracting and indexing services

Professional sales and marketing activities

Open Access
Research on the Development of Vocational Undergraduate Education in China: Evolution, Characteristics, and Practical Directions

November 14, 2025

Ying Kuang, Fengling Zhou

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Exploring vocational education at the undergraduate level and advancing the development of vocational undergraduate institutions are crucial for improving the modern vocational education system, addressing the realistic needs of economic and industrial transformation, and aligning with the trend of differentiated higher education development. The evolution of vocational undergraduate education in China can be divided into three stages: the framework construction and exploration phase, the critical phase of expansion and quality improvement, and the phase of deepening connotations and development. The practices of vocational undergraduate education in China exhibit three key characteristics: diverse and innovative approaches, industry-education integration with collaborative governance, and regulated operations under the standard-guidance. To further develop vocational undergraduate education, it is proposed to clarify institutional positioning to avoid “academic drift”, emphasize serving industries by cultivating innovative talent, promote the internationalization of vocational education to achieve industry-education alignment, and facilitate high-quality employment to reshape value recognition.
Open Access
Research on Key Factors and Effective Pathways for Luban Workshop’s Growth into a Prominent International Vocational Education Cooperation Brand: An Examination Based on Structuration Theory

October 16, 2025

Lan Wang

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The Luban Workshop represents a quintessential model of China’s international vocational education cooperation. From the perspective of structuration theory, this study conducts an in-depth analysis of the key elements underpinning the high-quality development of Luban Workshops globally and explores effective pathways for international vocational education collaboration through this initiative. The findings hold significant implications for strengthening China’s proactive stance in opening-up and advancing higher-quality global engagement. The research identifies three critical success factors for Luban Workshop to be a distinguished international vocational education brand: institutional development, resource allocation, and multi-actor participation. Regarding institutional frameworks, Luban Workshops have established comprehensive formal systems alongside effective informal mechanisms. In terms of resource development, human capital, information networks, cultural assets, and technological resources collectively form the essential foundation for their high-quality operation. The ecosystem features diverse stakeholders, including sovereign states, administrative bodies, coordination agencies, participating institutions, multinational and local enterprises, and civil society actors who constitute the core collaborative network driving the workshops’ development. These elements collectively represent actionable pathways for cultivating globally recognized vocational education partnerships.
Open Access
Strategic Social Marketing and TVET Enrollment in Cambodia: Insights from a National Impact Survey (2018–2020)

December 10, 2025

Sok Chanrithy, Reinsch Andreas, Nguon Phunpisey

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This paper assesses the effectiveness and reaches of social marketing interventions in the period between 2018 and 2020 by the General Department of TVET, Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training (MLVT)’s Department of Labor Market Information (DLMI) in Cambodia. Conducted with a mixed-method design in eight provinces using questionnaires for 788 high school students and 1,404 TVET students, the research determines how social marketing campaigns, both digital and conventional, especially using Facebook, TV, posters, and seminars, shape public opinion and student enrollment in vocational schools. The results point to social marketing’s strong effect on awareness but suggest that more efforts are required to engage parents and break recurrent stereotypes against TVET. Recommendations are provided for strengthening strategy in using early interventions, dissemination of labor market information, and multi-channel outreach.
Open Access
The “4S” Framework for International Exchange and Cooperation in Vocational Education

November 4, 2025

Zhaohui Fo, Qingfeng Zi

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The Tianjin Consensus released at the 2024 World Vocational and Technical Education Development Conference outlines a blueprint for the development of global vocational and technical education and sketches the “4S” action framework for international exchange and cooperation in vocational education: advocating the concept of Sharing in international exchange and cooperation in vocational education; prioritizing Skills in areas such as vocational skills, digital skills, and green skills; focusing on System building as the core to lay the foundation for multi-stakeholder connectivity; and improving vocational education Standards to ensure the quality of international exchange and cooperation in vocational education.
Open Access
A Study on the Typological Reform of China’s Vocational Education from a Comparative Education Perspective

December 12, 2025

Shibao Guo, Meiqi Fan

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Taking comparative education perspectives and typological education theory as the analytical framework, this paper examines the evolutionary logic of China’s vocational education in terms of institutional construction, reform pathways, and cultural tension, and reveals its structural dilemma between institutional legitimacy and social recognition. By comparing Germany’s industry co-governance model, France’s qualification hierarchy and outcome transformation mechanisms, and Japan’s enterprise-oriented and job-matching approach, the study analyzes how these three countries address the tensions inherent in vocational education as well as the limitations of their respective approaches. The research argues that China’s typological reform should, in governance, strengthen multi-stakeholder co-governance; in reform pathways, improve outcome transfer and vertical articulation; and in institutional culture, enhance legitimacy and social recognition, thereby realizing the transition from policy advocacy to institutional stabilization. Through this comparative study, the paper seeks to uncover shared structural logics and propose locally generated pathways across the three dimensions of governance, pathways, and social identity, offering theoretical support and international reference for the typological reform of vocational education with Chinese characteristics.
Open Access
The Future of TVET Teacher Education – An Analysis of International Trends and Perspectives

December 15, 2025

Frank Bünning

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Globally, teachers hold a pivotal role in the professionalization of the TVET sector. However, there are still limited initiatives aimed at developing comprehensive approaches to equipping TVET educators with the competencies required for effective teaching and learning in technical vocational education and training (TVET). This paper underscores the necessity for TVET teachers to possess an integrated set of competencies. On one side, they require domain-specific expertise linked to their professional field, while on the other side, they must demonstrate personal, social, and work-process-related skills, alongside pedagogical and methodological-didactical abilities at a scientifically sound level. Cultivating these competencies and enabling teachers to carry out their responsibilities demand a sophisticated combination of the aforementioned competence areas, particularly integrating the aspects of “vocational pedagogy” and professional expertise as a “subject”. The paper’s argumentation is supported by a comparative analysis of teacher training strategies in various countries, highlighting international efforts to meet this challenge. Moreover, the paper examines initiatives led by political organizations to establish standards that reflect the intricate nature of teaching competencies.
Open Access
A Study on the Construction Path of the SCO Vocational Education Community Under the Concept of “Sense of Gain”: A Case Study of Luban Workshop

December 11, 2025

Qin Yu

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As an important vehicle for the internationalization of China’s vocational education, the Luban Workshop has gradually formed a prototype of large-scale deployment and institutionalized cooperation among the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states. It has become a key pivot for promoting the construction of a regional vocational education community. Guided by the concept of “Sense of Gain”, this paper systematically analyzes the practical logic and operational effectiveness of Luban Workshops in SCO countries. In practice, Luban Workshop enhances the participants’ tangible and perceivable benefits from three dimensions – sense of gain from skills education, sense of gain from career development, and sense of gain from cultural identity – through curriculum localization, industry-education integration, and intercultural exchange platforms. It has gradually established a discourse system centered on joint consultation, co-construction and sharing, as well as empowerment through vocational education. However, challenges remain, such as insufficient local integration, weak school-enterprise cooperation mechanisms, limited discourse communication and cultural identity, and a lack of coordination among multiple actors. To address these issues, efforts should be made to strengthen platform capacity building, optimize value communication, and improve governance mechanisms. The study shows that the Luban Workshop is not only a forefront platform for the “going global” of China’s vocational education, but also an important carrier for constructing the SCO vocational education community.
Open Access
Integration Between Academic and Vocational Education in England: Historical Review

September 23, 2025

Peng Chen, Geoff Hayward, Carsten Schmidtke, Xinan Tong

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The integration of vocational and academic education serves as an effective pathway to bridge the divide inherent in the vocational-academic dichotomy and represents a critical initiative for advancing educational modernization. This study systematically examines the historical evolution and development models of vocational-academic integration in the UK. Findings reveal that since the establishment of a vocational education system in the 19th century, its integration with academic education has progressed through six distinct phases: a pre-1944 divergence period, the replacement of the tripartite system with comprehensive secondary schools (1944–1970s), the introduction of National Vocational Qualifications Under New Vocationalism in the 1980s, the formation of a triple-track system with General National Vocational Qualifications in 1990, the gradual construction of unified frameworks post-2000, and the post-2015 transition from T Levels to the Advanced British Standard. Integration manifests in diverse forms, encompassing both the pluralistic models of comprehensive schools and the progressive unification of qualification frameworks. The driving forces behind this integration in the UK stem not only from inter-party political contestation but also from underlying economic imperatives. Currently, the UK is advancing the convergence and alignment of vocational and academic education through the Advanced British Standard. Drawing lessons from the British experience, other nations may promote educational equity by establishing comprehensive secondary schools and creating national qualifications frameworks to facilitate vocational-academic integration. Additionally, implementing credit transfer mechanisms can offer personalized developmental pathways, thereby narrowing socioeconomic disparities in education and supporting the construction of a skills-oriented society.

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Submission

The first issue of World Vocational and Technical Education is scheduled to be published online in 2025.
Submissions are welcome!

You can easily submit your manuscript online: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/wvte.

Before preparing a manuscript, please read the Instructions for Authors and have a look at our Ethical Guidelines and License to publish.
Please note that your manuscript may be checked for plagiarism via Crossref Similarity Check.

Your benefits of publishing with us

Fully sponsored Open Access publication
Research freely available for all to read and download
Authors retain copyright – articles published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY-4.0) License
Rapid publication times
Every article easily discoverable because of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and comprehensive abstracting and indexing services
Professional sales and marketing activities

Please note

Publication language is English. Manuscripts must be written in clear and concise English.
The Template for Ethical and Legal Declarations is required for submission (needs to be customized by the submitting author on behalf of all others and uploaded as a separate doc-file at the time of the original submission).
WVTE is a fully sponsored Open Access journal. No fees are charged to the author.
If you have any general questions please visit our FAQ for authors.
For submission details please follow the Instructions for Authors or contact wvte@tute.edu.cn
World Vocational and Technical Education follows Tier 2 of our Data Sharing Policy. Authors are encouraged to provide a data availability statement.
Please refer to the Data Sharing Policy for guidance on how to write a data availability statement.

We are looking forward to receiving your manuscript!

ADVISORY BOARD

Gu Jianjun (Nanjing Normal University, China)
Lyu Jingquan (Expert Committee on Luban Workshop Construction, China)
Shi Weiping (East China Normal University, China)
Xiao Fengxiang (Tianjin University, China)
Yang Jin (Former Permanent Representative of China to UNESCO, China)
Yu Qiding (Beijing Normal University, China)
Zhang Binxian (Beijing Normal University, China)
Zhang Jingang (Tianjin University of Technology and Education, China)
Zhu Dequan (Southwest University, China)
Zhu Xudong (Beijing Normal University, China)

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Zheng Qingchun (Tianjin University of Technology and Education, China)

DEPUTY-EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Zha Qiang (York University, Canada)
Chen Bateer (Nankai University, China)
Mi Jing (Tianjin University of Technology and Education, China)

EDITORIAL BOARD

Adam Usher (Deakin University, Australia)
Eberhard Trowe (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit—Academy for International Cooperation (GIZ-AIZ), Germany)
Ewe Hong Tat (Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia)
Guo Shibao (University of Calgary, Canada)
He Zhen (Beijing Normal University, China)
Jurgen Becque (University of Cambridge, UK)
Ken Spours (University College London, UK)
Kuang Ying (East China Normal University, China)
Li Jun (University of Western Ontario, Canada)
Liang Qing (Tianjin University of Technology and Education, China)
Liu Baocun (Beijing Normal University, China)
Liu Jie (Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, China)
Liu Yufeng (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Lou Shizhou (Zhejiang Normal University, China)
Pan Haisheng (Tianjin University, China)
Philipp Pohlenz (Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany)
Shen Guochang (Central China Normal University, China)
Shi Kecan (Beijing Normal University, China)
Song Huan (Beijing Normal University, China)
Xu Guoqing (East China Normal University, China)
Ye Fugui (Tsinghua University, China)
Yuan Dayong (Beijing Foreign Studies University, China)
Zhao Wenping (Tianjin University of Technology and Education, China)
Huang Futao (Hiroshima University, Japan)
Sidney Muhangi (Rhodes University, South Africa)

EDITORIAL OFFICE

Mi Jing (Tianjin University of Technology and Education, China)
Li Shujing (Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, China)

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Journal information

Additional information

eISSN:

2944-5698

Language:

English

Publisher:

De Gruyter

Additional information

First published:

March 1, 2025

Publication Frequency:

4 issues per year

World Vocational and Technical Education

Overview

About this journal

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Editorial

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Supplementary Materials

Supplementary Materials

Topics

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