Opinion | US-China tech war: Vocational schools could be key to fixing labour shortages
- The US and China are in a similar quandary when it comes to securing enough skilled labour to meet their technological goals
- Both could benefit from promoting vocational education and removing the stigma that comes from pursuing it instead of higher education
![Vocational trainer Yang Denghui (right) explains the differences of various cutter heads to a student at Guangdong Machinery Technician College in Guangzhou on February 14. Vocational schools are still regarded by many in China as a place only for students who fail the country’s academic-track high school entry exam, potentially holding back the country’s technological progress. Photo: Xinhua](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/1020x680/public/d8/images/canvas/2023/03/06/fdfff1ee-69c2-4e8c-aaeb-7449340e78d2_9aede66a.jpg?itok=JT7tuH4m&v=1678099399)
This is a strategic move that aims to mitigate US manufacturers’ struggles to hire skilled workers. As Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said last month, the US is “in the middle of a tremendous labour shortage”.
To make matters worse, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security estimates an additional drop of 35 million people in the next five years. In the past four decades, China has tapped into its massive population of low-wage labourers to become the world’s manufacturing hub for major technology companies.
Apple, for instance, produces more than 95 per cent of its iPhones, AirPods, Macs and iPads in China. Now, that era may be coming to an end.
China has two potential policy solutions. First, policymakers could speed up the installation of industrial robots on factory floors.
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