Guangxi expands vocational training to support ASEAN-China industrial cooperation

Guangxi's vocational education is expanding globally in an effort to help enterprises expand their presence in ASEAN through the cultivation of skilled talent. China-ASEAN trade reached 302 billion yuan ($41.9 billion) in the first five months of 2025.

At Liuzhou Polytechnic University, ASEAN students in tailored vocational programs practice operating robotic arms, training for roles at Chinese enterprises in their home countries. "Studying here guarantees better job opportunities at Chinese firms in Indonesia," said an Indonesian student.

The university has partnered with 10 enterprises, including SAIC-GM-Wuling, providing customized training through the China-ASEAN Institute of Modern Craftsman. Its tailored vocational training programs in Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia equip students to support manufacturing cooperation between China and ASEAN.

Liuzhou Guoxuan Battery plans to launch a special scholarship program to cultivate technical talent with language proficiency, which is becoming increasingly important as its exports to Southeast Asia rise. "Talent is the foundation for overseas projects," noted its general manager Cai Yanan.

Similarly, Guangxi Vocational College of Water Resources and Electric Power has sent 27 graduates to a China hydropower project in Cambodia, trained 5,000 local staff, and built overseas bases for students from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos.

Guangxi has established 47 training bases and 17 Sino-ASEAN Modern Craftsman Institutes, fostering skilled workers via school-enterprise programs — driving regional economic integration through educational collaboration.