More efforts should be made to promote vocational education as a crucial personnel source for industrial transformation, according to an instruction sent by Premier Li Keqiang to the 10th National Vocational Students Skills Competition on May 8.

One of the top priorities in China’s educational development is to promote vocational education, Premier Li said. China’s economy is in dire need of a great number of skilled personnel during the critical period of economic transformation and upgrade, he added.

Premier Li hoped that the competition would help vocational education better serve the market and promote employment. It should take the lead to encourage vocational students to combine learning with working and to promote craftsmanship, thus guiding vocational colleges to constantly cultivate a high quality industrial workforce.

Premier Li urged the competition to make efforts and help tap China’s human resource advantages, push Chinese brands going global and lift the real economy to a medium-to-high level.

Vice-Premier Liu Yandong addressed the opening ceremony of the competition in Tianjin, on May 8. She said that vocational education should be in line with the national strategy of innovation-driven development, value moral education and attach importance to the combination of education with the industrial sector.

The National Vocational Students Skills Competition, first held in 2008, is holding its 10th session in Tianjin, the principal area, and 19 other sub-contest areas across China from May 8 to June 9.