Vocational training helps firms expand in ASEAN

Liuzhou Railway Vocational Technical College is ramping up its global outreach by tailoring vocational training programs to support the expansion of Chinese manufacturing and infrastructure enterprises across Southeast Asia, officials said.

Located in the industrial hub of Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, the college has focused its educational resources on five ASEAN member states — Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Laos and Vietnam. Over the past five years, the institution has trained more than 1,200 international students and provided over 25,000 days of technical training for overseas Chinese companies.

To ensure practical proficiency, the campus features a massive outdoor railway training field equipped with active enterprise machinery, as well as simulated driving laboratories that replicate the exact CR200J train models used in international infrastructure projects.

A flagship example of this initiative is the college's deep involvement in Malaysia's East Coast Rail Link project. Wang Hanqiang, Party secretary of the college, said the institution collaborated with project developers to compile a comprehensive operation and maintenance management system. This partnership generated millions of words of maintenance standards and dozens of technical regulations tailored specifically to Malaysia's railway conditions and local laws.

Wang said this approach ensures technical standards are effectively adapted to local contexts rather than merely exported. Furthermore, similar railway occupational standards developed by the college have recently been incorporated into the national vocational standards of Laos.

To bridge cultural and technical gaps, the college employs a customized educational model designed to prevent a disconnection between classroom learning and practical application. Wang mentioned that students are often selected by partner enterprises before enrollment, allowing them to sign employment contracts in advance. Their curriculum seamlessly combines language studies, classroom instruction and on-site project internships.

This customized approach also resonates on a personal level. For instance, the college is currently training several Lao students in railway operations after they were inspired to enroll after seeing their older siblings successfully secure technical roles on the China-Laos Railway following their graduation from the same institution. Consequently, over 200 international students enrolled in these customized railway classes have already secured technical positions, providing overseas projects with a steady stream of skilled local workers.

Beyond railway transportation, the college is aligning its programs with the booming new energy vehicle sector. Partnering with local automotive giant SAIC-GM-Wuling, the school has established specialized training bases to cultivate technicians for Southeast Asia. Thai and Indonesian students receive hands-on experience in battery testing and vehicle maintenance. Many of these students transition directly into employment at the automaker's overseas branches upon graduation, while the college has also successfully trained dozens of master-level technicians specifically for the Indonesian automotive market.

Such efforts reflect a broader strategy within Liuzhou to integrate vocational education with industrial development. Zhao Congkui, deputy director of the Liuzhou Municipal Education Bureau, said the city's vocational programs are designed to strictly follow industrial layouts. With over 90 percent of local vocational majors matching key regional industries, the city ensures that its talent supply meets precise market demand. Zhao pointed out that this integration is now backed by local legislation, marking a shift toward legally guaranteed industry-education cooperation.

In addition, local institutions have helped establish 19 overseas training centers and multiple modern artisan academies across ASEAN countries, Zhao added.

Looking ahead, Zhao said that the city plans to build a unified international brand for its vocational education, cultivate bilingual teaching staff and establish additional cross-border platforms. Furthermore, as the region develops the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, Liuzhou will expand its curricula to include multimodal transport, ensuring a continuous supply of talent for broader international logistics networks.

renqi@chinadaily.com.cn