Vocational program builds talent base

A Luban workshop was built in Thailand in 2016, which has helped Thai students learn subjects ranging from new energy cars to high-speed rail.

Thai student Arissara Jitnok studied mechatronics there and went on to study further at a university in Tianjin. Jitnok plans to join a China-funded enterprise after graduation.

"I would never have got the chance to further my study in China and then be able to find a good job when I return home if I hadn't taken vocational education at the Luban Workshop in Thailand," said Jitnok, 23.

Data shows that more than 3,200 students have taken vocational education in Luban workshops worldwide. Over 11,000 people have been trained for both China-funded and local enterprises in the partner countries.

Teachers in the partner countries also have opportunities to polish their educational skills in China.

"I have gained a lot from China's Luban Workshop and Chinese teachers," said Mohamed Ahmed Ali Baioumy Mohamed, a teacher at the Advanced Technical School for Maintenance Technology in Cairo.

"At the workshop, I learned how to use modern machines and how to use the advanced numerically controlled machine tools. I'll pass on what I have learned in China to my colleagues and students," he said.

The Luban Workshop in India trains people in equipment manufacturing and new energy for China-funded companies there, while the workshop in Britain has brought Chinese food and culture to British chefs.

"We not only teach Chinese food preparation, but also share the food culture and history," says Zhang Yakun, a Chinese food teacher in the Luban Workshop in Britain. "Many teachers and students were impressed by the skills required and the profound culture of Chinese food."