New vocational model urged to rid educational option of its second-class status in Hong Kong
Industry is not a second-class study option for young, says task force, as it proposes ways to rebrand the training as alternative to university
The Task Force on Promotion of Vocational Education, formed last June, submitted its report to the Education Bureau yesterday, proposing 27 measures to raise the sector's professional image, including further industry collaboration, promotion of applied learning and extensions to subsidy schemes.
The report noted that many secondary school pupils and parents were often not fully aware of the latest developments and career prospects in vocational education and a prevailing misconception was that it was "education of the lower levels".
Task force chairman Dr Roy Chung Chi-ping said it was time for the government to "shift the paradigm" and remove the social bias. "Our long-term vision is to change this entrenched perception of vocational education as a second choice," said Chung, who is deputy chairman of the Vocational Training Council.
The task force recommended a three-pronged strategy to rebrand, strengthen promotion and sustain existing efforts of vocational education. The generic term vocational education and training should also be renamed "vocational and professional education and training" (VPET).
One recommendation was to help VPET providers introduce better facilities, enhance the quality of their programmes and encourage more research to promote its image as a "professional institution".
Other recommendations included encouraging course providers to increase accreditation of more applied learning courses under the government's Qualifications Framework.