On December 25, the Yichang Education Bureau held a press conference on "Strengthening Overall Planning to Accelerate the Characteristic and High Quality Development of Vocational Education". The reporter learned from the press conference that the "Opinions on Further Promoting the Development of Vocational Education (Draft for Review)"(hereinafter referred to as Opinions) had been discussed and approved in principle by the Yichang Municipal Standing Committee and the documents will be officially issued in the near future.

　　The "Opinions"points out that efforts should be made to strengthen the overall planning of municipal and county governments. It is necessary to set up a leading group for vocational education and to give full play to the role of vocational colleges and technical colleges in the main position of vocational training. The overall integration of vocational training resources should be further strengthened. The vocational training projects in the charge of competent departments of all trades are to be coordinated by the government, organized by departments and implemented by vocational colleges.

　　Efforts should be made to build a long-term mechanism of deep integration between production and education and of cooperation between colleges and enterprises. A system of work assessment and subsidy of the classes of college-enterprise cooperative orders should be established and an annual award of 10,000 yuan should be granted to each class in vocational colleges for employing skilled teachers to develop courses, etc. The employment rate in Yichang will be included in the job evaluation of vocational colleges. If the graduates of vocational colleges are in stable employment in Yichang for more than one year, after the confirmation by relevant departments, the municipal and county governments will award the vocational colleges by the standard of 1000 yuan per student. Group-based colleges of large and medium-sized enterprises, vocational colleges and industry authorities should be encouraged and supported and industrial vocational education groups should be set up. Preferential support in projects and funds will be given to those enterprises that are deeply involved in college-enterprise cooperation and with normative behavior, remarkable achievements and great influence.

　　Efforts should be made to strengthen the guarantee for the development of vocational education. Special support should be given to the pilot work of the new apprenticeship system in enterprises. For those enterprises and technical and vocational colleges that adopt such modes as double teachers for apprentices and alternation of work and study, special funds shall be allocated to support the pilot work. An employment environment of fair competition should be provided and departments and localities should gradually abolish the educational threshold when formulating policies to improve recruitment, job appointment and job promotion.