A Study Of Legislation Building During The Partnership Between School And Business Of Vocational Education

The vocational education, which was disdained by traditional point of view, has been getting increasing attentions due to the growing demand for skilled workers due to the rapid development of social economy and the gloomy job prospects for fresh college graduates. It has become a hot topic in the field of vocational education in terms of how we can grasp this great opportunity by ensuring the training quality so that the vocational education can meet the needs of social and economic development.This study argues that the success of vocational education requires the safeguard of legislations. Since the vocational education system is supposed to directly serve the demands of business by providing skilled workers, a close partnership between the vocational education system and business should be established and the business should play a critical role for professional training. This partnership not only can ensure the quality of vocational education but also can truly serve social and economic development by providing workers with the right skills. How to rely on legislations to ensure that business assumes a major responsibility in vocational education and to foster an environment of partnership between vocational schools and business is the focus of this study.This study is based on conceptual analysis of vocational education, the partnership between vocational schools and business, and related legislations. It tries to define the principle and the framework of research on the legislations of vocational education for the partnership between vocational schools and business. It then explores the symbiosis theory, theory of strategic alliance, and game theory in order to establish the legal base for the partnership between vocational schools and business. The study concluded that the partnership between vocational schools and business is inevitable and the government must play a crucial role. The government can enact policies to balance the interests of both parties and to ensure the harmony, longevity, and stability of the partnership.This study has analyzed the legislations on the partnership between vocational schools and business in countries with successful vocational education, for instance, Germany, the United States, Japan, Britain, and Australia. While the partnership between vocational schools and business is crucial for the success of vocational education, different countries take different approaches. In Germany, the driver for the partnership is the business; in USA, the driver is the vocational schools; in Japan, the primary approach for vocational education is business internal training and the vocational schools do not play a significant role. Britain and Australia take the approach of vocational qualifications. British vocational qualification approach is achieved by courses via BTEC and Australia implements the vocational education via TAFE. Each of those models has its own unique characteristic and is designed by taking consideration of the country’s unique situation. Each country has also enacted corresponding legislations to govern and facilitate the success of vocational education.By examining those models for vocational education, the following legislation considerations are believed to be the key to success:●Establish the criticality of business in legislations for vocational education. The legislations must clarify the responsibilities and interests for both business and vocational schools.●Ensure the rights and interests of the educated in the relevant legal system.●Define clearly the legal responsibility and sanctions in the legal system.●The legislations must adapt to the needs of society and progress in time.●The legislations for vocational education should be specific and practical.●The legal system of vocational education must be innovative and need to adapt for Chinese characteristics.●Perfect the system of professional qualification certification in China and enforce a strict employment standard.Based on the comparison of legislations governing the partnership between vocational schools and business for other countries, this study further analyzed related legislations and policies on the partnership between vocational schools and business in our country since the republic of China era. The focus of the analysis is on the first law in our country in modern era for the partnership between vocational schools and business, which is titled as "Bylaw of Ningbo cooperation between school and enterprise of vocational education". By examining the experience of the partnership between vocational schools and business from a historical and international perspective, the study has tried to identify the problems that exist in our legislations for the partnership between vocational schools and business in China. In the republic of China era, the partnership between vocational schools and business had the support of sophisticated legislations, especially, in the area of trainee internship. Since the economical reform and open door policy, China has enacted policies to regulate the partnership between vocational schools and business. But there still exist many problems:●No legislative protection for the partnership between vocational schools and business.●No sophisticated legislations for the partnership between vocational schools and business.●The basis for the partnership between vocational schools and business is not clearly defined.●Lack of supporting and facilitating legislations.●Need to further clarify the responsibilities for business in the partnership.●Existing legislations don’t have the stipulations for legal responsibilities and sanctions.●No standard professional certification and employment admittance system●The enforcement of the legislations for vocational education needs improvement●No legislative subsidizing established for the partnership.Based on the systematical analysis, this study is proposing the establishment of a sophisticated legal system for the partnership between vocational schools and business, which should be adapted specifically for China, around the following aspects:●Clear definition of the partnership and the driver for the partnership.●The scope of legislations and the legal standing.●Completing the legislations on the partnership between vocational schools and business.●Measures to support the partnership. ●Facilitating the cooperation between vocational schools and business and clear specifications on the rights and obligations for the stakeholders in the partnership.●Ensuring that the legislations have teeth to safeguard the rights and interests of the educated.●Determination of the legal liability and sanctions for both parties in the partnership between the vocational schools and business.●Improving the system of vocational qualification certification and the enforcement of strict employment admittance.●Improving the legal enforcement system for the partnership between vocational schools and business.●The setup of a vocational school-business partnership subsidizing system.In conclusion, our country should improve and perfect the legal system around the partnership between vocational schools and business, which should have vocational education legislations that are consistent and complete and are consistent of basic laws, special law stipulations, administrative policies and regulations, department rules, local laws and regulations, and other related laws, policies, and regulations.