Author(s)

Na Chen ¹

Affiliation(s)

¹ Chongqing City Management College, Chongqing, 401331, China

Corresponding Author

Na Chen

ABSTRACT

The integrated development of vocational education and lifelong education is of great significance for improving the quality of China’s labor force, alleviating the structural contradiction between the supply and demand of technical and skilled talents, enhancing the quality of entrepreneurship and employment, and strengthening the development of a skilled workforce. The study finds that the current integration of vocational education and lifelong education in China still faces several challenges, including an incomplete institutional system, difficulties in realizing the integrated development of pre-service and post-service education, and insufficient emphasis on the cultivation of comprehensive qualities and competencies. Therefore, the government should intensify publicity efforts, strengthen cooperation among governments, schools, industries, and enterprises, and deepen institutional reforms concerning the integration of vocational education and lifelong education. Schools should establish institutional mechanisms for the integrated development of vocational and lifelong education through "credit mutual recognition" and "certificate interoperability," while further strengthening the construction of teaching staff. Communities should establish open community universities and community colleges to further build bridges for integrated development. In addition, industries should participate in formulating vocational education curricula that meet the developmental requirements of lifelong education, thereby forming a strong synergy to promote the integrated development of vocational education and lifelong education.

KEYWORDS

Vocational Education; Lifelong Education; Integrated Development; Countermeasures

CITE THIS PAPER

Na Chen. Research on the Practical Dilemmas and Development Paths of the Integrated Development of Vocational Education and Lifelong Education in China. Advances in Vocational and Technical Education (2026). Vol. 8, No.1, 131-135. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/avte.2026.080117.

REFERENCES

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[3] National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China. (2022, April 20). Vocational Education Law of the People's Republic of China. http://www.npc.gov.cn/npc/c30834/202204/
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