Research on the Practical Paths of Vocational Education Serving the Development of Chongqing’s Local Characteristic Industries

Abstract

Against the strategic backdrop of Chongqing’s accelerated efforts to build a modern manufacturing cluster system, vocational education—as the core pillar supporting the development of local distinctive industries—faces challenges such as a disconnect between program development and industrial needs, a disparity where schools are enthusiastic about industry-education integration while enterprises remain lukewarm, a shortage of dual-qualified teachers, and a lack of digital resources. Based on an integrated perspective combining industry-education integration theory, human capital theory, and regional economic theory, this paper constructs a three-dimensional analytical framework encompassing the demands of local distinctive industries, program design, and talent cultivation. The study finds that the construction of an industry-education integration network is a multi-layered embedded process involving supply-demand alignment, resource transformation, and value co-creation. New human capital theory requires shifting the focus of talent cultivation from rapid job readiness to sustainable development capabilities, while regional economic theory emphasizes that vocational education must be deeply aligned with regional resource endowments. Accordingly, this paper proposes a set of strategies from three dimensions: innovation in talent cultivation models under the framework of industry-education integration, development of teaching resources under the framework of human capital theory, and the establishment of policy safeguards under the framework of regional economic theory. These strategies include the establishment of substantive industry-academic colleges, the improvement of mechanisms for dynamic program adjustment, the development of digital teaching resources, and the strengthening of dual-qualified faculty. This explores the construction of a new vocational education paradigm characterized by the deep integration of local industrial chains, distinctive clusters of majors, and talent pools, thereby providing theoretical support and practical solutions for vocational education to serve the high-quality development of local distinctive industries.