The Shanghai IHK Giessen-Friedberg Sino-German Dual Vocational Education Training Center opens on July 16 in Shanghai. [Photo by Gu Yingjie/International Services Shanghai]

The Shanghai IHK Giessen-Friedberg Sino-German Dual System Vocational Education and Training Base was officially inaugurated at Shanghai Industrial Technology School on July 16. This establishment represents Shanghai’s first dual system vocational education and training base affiliated with the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The primary objective of this base is to create a platform for international service projects within Shanghai's vocational schools. It aims to foster collaboration in specialized dual system majors and promote teacher-student exchanges. By enabling students to engage in dual system education and training, the initiative seeks to equip them with German Chamber of Commerce qualifications. This strategic move is expected to propel vocational education reform and development while nurturing top-tier technical talent.

The German dual-system vocational education model is renowned globally for its effectiveness. Typically, this model involves partnerships between organizations like the IHK and vocational schools to deliver comprehensive vocational education and training. Students partake in a dual approach where they divide their time between acquiring theoretical knowledge in school and gaining practical experience within companies. This integration of academics and industry significantly enhances the students' employability prospects.

The newly established base will provide student talent development programs and curriculum services focusing on three key majors: integrated mechanical and electrical engineering, industrial mechanical engineering, and mold mechanical engineering. Moving forward, the training base will concentrate on developing teaching resources aligned with the German dual system, fostering a team of skilled education teachers, promoting international cooperation in modern vocational education, facilitating overseas vocational qualification certifications for students, and enhancing collaboration between learning institutions and industry. These efforts are geared towards elevating the quality of vocational education in Shanghai and bolstering regional economic and social development.

A special ceremony was also conducted to inaugurate the Shanghai IHK Giessen-Friedberg Chamber of Commerce Student Certification Center. With the establishment of the center, students will have the opportunity to undertake exams in Shanghai that mirror those administered by the IHK in Germany. Successful candidates will be awarded internationally recognized vocational qualification certificates by the IHK Giessen-Friedberg Chamber of Commerce in Germany, further enhancing their career prospects and global recognition.