Abstract:

The construction of a skilled society represents China’s central strategy in addressing the challenge of skill shortage. The key labor market development goals of such a society include a significant enhancement of skill capacity of general population, a marked decline in skill shortages across industries, sectors, and occupations, and an increasingly suitable spatial allocation of skills. Effective skill provision is pivotal for achieving these goals, and its realization hinges on the synergistic development of the national vocational education system and the labor market. Empirical analyses indicate that the expansion of China’s higher vocational education has augmented the overall stock of skill capital. The initial employment mobility of vocational college graduates has optimized the allocation of skilled talents across industries, sectors, and occupations. However, the allocation is influenced by the development of the digital/platform economy, gig economy, and emerging work modalities. A relatively high in-province employment rate and asymmetrical inter-city mobility of graduates might pose challenges for optimal spatial distribution of skills. The expansion of vocational education in China is a prerequisite for effective skill provision, yet its efficacy is contingent upon the evolution of labor market structures. To better leverage vocational education development in support of constructing a skilled society, it is imperative to rigorously study the recent shifts in labor market structures and their implications for vocational education and skilled talent allocation. Based on this, a well-informed strategy for the development of a skilled society should be formulated.

Key words: skilled society, vocational education, effective skill provision, employment