New Sino-New Zealand vocational teacher training base opens

The new training base will operate out of the Shaanxi Polytechnic Institute, a key institution partner for New Zealand ITPs and one of the leading vocational education colleges in Western China’s Shaanxi Province.

It follows the first Sino-New Zealand vocational teacher training base launched in Qingdao Technical College late last year.

Adele Bryant, ENZ’s Senior Advisor – China, said it’s a great opportunity to bring New Zealand best practice to more Chinese TVET teachers, particularly in areas such as curriculum design, quality assurance and assessment.

“More Chinese TVET teachers will benefit from the tailor-made training programmes jointly developed by New Zealand and Chinese TVET experts, building on the Train the Trainers Programme that many Chinese vocational teachers have undertaken in New Zealand over the last few years,” said Adele.  

An unveiling ceremony was held on 11 May at the Silk Road Education Cooperation Expo in Xi’an, with representatives from the Shaanxi Provincial Government, Department of International Cooperation and Exchange of the Chinese Ministry of Education (MoE) in attendance. 

Other attendees included the President of Shaanxi Polytechnic Institute, Director of the Central Institute of Vocational and Technical Education, the Economic Counsellor from New Zealand Embassy Beijing and Tony O’Brien, Sino-New Zealand Project Director of the Model Vocational Education Programme.

The training bases are part of the Model Vocational Education Programme work plan for 2018-2019. 

The Chinese government released its National Implementation Plan for Vocational Education Reform in February this year, in which upskilling TVET teachers is a key priority, including through the building of 100 teacher training centres.

Adele says this would open further teacher training opportunities for the New Zealand TVET sector.