Chinese Central SOEs Boost Overseas Industrial Development

Providing talent cultivation platform

To explore new modes of vocational education in Africa, AVIC International Holding Corporation (AVIC INTL), a subsidiary of Aviation Industry Corporation of China, Ltd., visited nearly 30 colleges and vocational schools and held a vocational skill contest that covers fields like machining and numerical control machining. The contest has been held six times and attracted more and more people.

In the sixth contest in 2019, the top two teams won production orders valued at $100,000 and the first three individual winners were offered scholarships to study in China.

Improving vocational capacity is an urgent need in Kenya.

Statistics show that only 25 percent of the country's graduates are able to find a job. Meanwhile, according to the African Development Bank, Kenya is still in need of 30,000 engineers, 90,000 technical workers and 400,000 technicians.

Some China-Africa cooperation projects like the vocational contests held by AVIC INTL can play a role in promoting vocational skills among young people in the country.

Dinah Mwinzi, former permanent secretary of the Ministry of Education of Kenya, said that the vocational contest held by AVIC INTL has become an example for Chinese central SOEs' fulfillment of social responsibility and promoting technology transfers between China and Africa.

She added that as the number of participating countries and competition categories grow, the contest has evolved into a platform for talent cultivation in Africa.

In addition to contest activities, China also takes part in technical training.

With support from the Export-Import Bank of China, the Chinese side has also provided vocational education equipment valued at nearly $318 million for Kenya and offered training courses for more than 50,000 local people.

A team carries out final inspection of their product at the African vocational skill contest in 2018. [Photo provided by AVIC INTL]

(Executive editor: Niu Yilin)