Harbin Vocational & Technical College Training Base Project

completed

As part of the project, the existing campus of the Harbin Vocational & Technical College (HVTC) in Harbin in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang is to be expanded and equipped with modern equipment. The HVTC is a higher vocational school that will increase its capacity from around 10,800 to 14,700 students and improve teaching and training equipment. The FC development loan is to be used to purchase teaching and training equipment and to build two teaching and training buildings. Northeast China was an economic focal point in previous decades, but has lost a lot of its productivity as part of the restructuring of the economy. The Chinese government's revitalization program, which began in 2004, is intended to strengthen the region, consisting of the three provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning. Heilongjiang has rich energy resources and can rely on a relatively solid industrial base. Due to its historical connection to Russia and its significant raw material deposits, the province is one of the most attractive industrial locations in China. In Harbin, the provincial capital, companies in the power plant equipment, aircraft and vehicle construction, and metal processing industries dominate. Due to the increased settlement of national and international industrial companies, there is a high demand for qualified specialists. A shortage of qualified specialists of around 300,000 to 500,000 was determined for 2014. The expansion of capacities is intended to cover part of this demand. By providing training places and promoting the local economy, the HVTC plays an important role in society. By specifically promoting vocational training, young people's entry and development opportunities in the regional labor market are increased, and with it the chance of earning higher incomes. As a result of the expansion of the school complex and the improvement of training equipment and training methods, the quantity of available training places and the quality of vocational training offers are increased. This particularly increases the chances of weaker students who would otherwise enter the labor market as unskilled workers. With almost 300 industrial partnerships, HVTC has good and close connections to industry and business, thus offering its graduates good opportunities to enter the highly qualified job market. HVTC certificates enjoy high levels of acceptance among companies.