Achieving excellence through partnership Reflections from China: experiences, outcomes and impact Kathleen Zhong Director Skills and Vocational Education British Council China

China experiences – the big picture International collaboration in vocational education Scope Six continents More than 30 countries Levels National Provincial Local Types Policy dialogue Teacher and students exchanges Co-operation in running schools Training Joint research Etc.

Decision on accelerating the development of modern vocational education 1 ） Two main elements: Support for vocational schools to introduce (1) high-level experts from abroad, and (2) high-quality education resources 2 ） Three forms: Teacher exchange, Student exchange, Co-operative education 3 ） Two directions: Integrate the processes of "bringing in" and "going out“ Integrate international collaboration on vocational education with the promotion abroad of Chinese enterprises and products. 4 ） Two expectations: 1. Actively participate in the formulation of international standards to develop international advanced professional standards and curriculum systems. 2. Enhance the international influence of the National Vocational Skills Competition. 5 ） A final requirement: Improving mechanisms for Sino- foreign co-operation.

China-UK college partnerships

Overview of China International skills partnership In China, International Skills Partnerships are and will continue to be a pillar of our Skills work in 2014/15, because they provide the most efficient platform on which we can explore and build on the collaborations most practical and beneficial to both the UK and China

PRINCIPALS’ JOINT STATEMENTS Birmingham Statement: Nov 2013 The two sides identified three areas for collaboration - Cultural exchange - Developing high skill vocational education systems - Raising the profile and status of vocational education Tianjin Statement: June 2014 We hope that principals from the two countries will continue to work in the more specific areas of: - Curriculum development, on-line resources sharing - Industrial links and apprenticeships - Student progression - Consortium collaboration

Why partnerships?

UK-China college collaboration: What do UK colleges want?

UK-China college collaboration:

The conditions need to be right The partnership needs to be: Special - to make the extra effort worthwhile Time-limited - with clear boundaries and controls Active - genuinely building on the skills and resources of the partners Measurable - with the goals and results clearly established Problem-centred - with genuine issues to work on and find solutions to

Review on Budget

What is critical for partnerships? Shared long term vision Mutual benefits Sustainability Cultural awareness Commitment from leadership Communication Commitment of resources Understand each other’s strengths and demands

UK-China Skills Partnerships: Themes and Models All UK-China college partnerships focus on one or more of the following themes and models: : Skills competitions Modern Apprenticeship Developing innovative teaching and training models Curriculum design Staff and student exchanges

Industry-led consortia partnerships Industry-led consortia partnerships, which are driven by employers in the UK and in China and involve colleges and other actors and focus on a specific industry Employers in CHINA Employers in UK

College –College partnership College- College Employer Local govern- ment Qualifi- cations

WorldSkills Legacy Partnerships World Skills Legacy Partnerships focus on building up students’ abilities through participation in national and international skills competition

Skill Zone Consortium Partnership A consortium from Zhongshan has set up a Skills Zone partnership with a consortium of skills organisations from the North of England. They are working on a range of issues, from apprenticeships to teacher training to student exchange.

Challenges in Partnership Different systems No dedicated responsible person Not part of college development strategy No clear goals

Communication Platform UK China Skills Partnership E-Newsletter Information sharing and updates Best practice sharing Opportunities Network building Impact promotion Cultural exchange

Outcomes -Increased understanding and aspiration for international collaboration in vocational education -Explored innovative approaches to maximize the benefit of international partnerships -Developed various models to showcase how partnership work in China context -Enhanced exchanges and capacity building between China and the UK -Improved the participation and perception in vocational education

There must be a teacher for me among any three travellers - Confucius