ATTRACTIVENESS OF VOCATIONAL COLLEGES IN SHANXI: MYTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN CHINA

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the factors affecting the attractiveness of vocational colleges in Shanxi, China. The public’s bias towards vocational education has impeded its development. In such a case, the provincial government should actively help people understand vocational education, advocate for their relevance, and not write off vocational colleges after failing the college admission test. It is crucial to understand that higher vocational colleges are the reserve base of national technical talents and develop professional and technical talents with high skills and high quality. In recent years, the impact of rate of return on vocational college admissions has been widely explored. Although many researchers say the poor return on investment on vocational colleges is the main reason vocational colleges are less enticing, others say vocational colleges have a higher return on investment than regular colleges. In this study, the advantages of vocational education are looked at from the points of view of employment rate, wage, level of income from vocational labour, and change in identity. Nevertheless whether the level of return effects the reputation and attractiveness of vocational colleges still needs to be explored.