A groundbreaking
agreement outlining how the UK and China will work together to
boost vocational learning in both countries has been announced today.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed during an
official visit to Beijing, China, by Further Education, Skills and
Lifelong Learning Minister John Hayes.
The MoU will provide the basis for deepening our collaborations
on vocational education. The agreement will last for the next
three years.
Skills Minister said:
“There are already many examples of very productive
collaborations across China with UK awarding organisations,
colleges and training providers working together with their
Chinese counterparts. This MoU builds on this positive foundation
with the aim of developing this relationship even more.
“It will open up a fantastic array of valuable and enriching
opportunities for vocational education colleges and other
organisations in both the UK and China.
“I am particularly pleased with the Chinese interest in our
apprenticeship model. Apprenticeships are at the heart of the
British Government’s approach to vocational education.”
The five key areas of activity will be:
Trials of apprenticeships in China drawing on UK models and
expertiseExpanding the mutual recognition of qualifications and
vocational education providers Support for institutional
partnerships including joint course development and student /
teacher exchanges Joint development of e-learning and remote
learning facilities Sector specialists from the UK and China
working together to develop curriculum material and training
resources
The MoU follows detailed discussions between Ministers in both
countries. A UK-China Education Summit took place in November 2010
where Education Secretary Michael Gove signed a broad Partnership
Agreement on education, including a commitment to explore deeper
ties on vocational education with the Chinese. In June this year,
Prime Minister welcomed Chinese Premier Wen and his delegation to
the UK for the UK-China Summit.
Following his stay in Beijing, John Hayes will visit Hong Kong
for two days. He will meet Ministers to discuss the educational
reforms in Hong Kong and attend a conference on learning in a
globalised world. He will also visit the Hospitality Industry
Training and Development Centre and Chinese Cuisine Training
Institute of Vocational Training Council.
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