Industry-Education Integration for Vocational English Competence: A Collaborative Cultivation Mechanism for Industrial Talent in Haikou under the Free Trade Port Closure Background

Abstract

As the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) moves toward full closure operations, industrial sectors in Haikou face an urgent demand for personnel equipped with robust vocational English competence (VEC). This paper examines the structural misalignment between existing higher vocational English education and the authentic occupational language needs of Haikou’s dominant industries. Drawing on stakeholder theory, foreign language education planning theory, and a core competence framework, the study proposes a “Government-Industry-Enterprise-School” (GIES) four-party collaborative cultivation mechanism. Central to this mechanism is a three-dimensional VEC model comprising language proficiency, occupational competence, and intercultural communication capacity. The paper argues that effective cultivation requires simultaneous restructuring of programme objectives, modular curriculum design, dual-supervisory practicum systems, and enterprise-led multi-dimensional assessment. Implications for policy, curriculum reform, and teacher development in free trade port contexts are discussed.