Research on key challenges and solutions for vocational education institutions in establishing innovation consortia
Jing Chen
Suzhou Vocational Institute of Industrial Technology
Shulin Luo
Suzhou Vocational Institute of Industrial Technology
Sihan Ni
Suzhou Vocational Institute of Industrial Technology
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59429/bam.v7i4.12393
Keywords: innovation consortium; higher vocational education; challenges; solutions
Abstract
Establishing innovation consortia represents a pivotal pathway for bridging the divide between science and industry while enhancing national competitiveness. Higher vocational education, with its inherent proximity to industrial needs, workplace requirements and corporate demands, ought to serve as an indispensable driving force within these consortia. Yet, numerous practical challenges persist. This paper systematically identifies four major pain points in vocational colleges' participation in consortium development: marginalized governance status, shortage of dual-qualified teaching staff, inadequate research funding, and rigid institutional barriers. These issues lead to a series of problems including mismatched talent supply and demand, gaps in technology transfer, and fragmented innovation chains. Consequently, this paper proposes countermeasures to elevate vocational colleges' influence through institutional empowerment, facilitate two-way faculty mobility between institutions and enterprises, establish diversified funding and open-sharing mechanisms, and create flexible, interconnected institutional environments. These measures aim to transform vocational colleges from supporting roles into co-constructing entities, achieving synchronized resonance between educational and talent development chains with industrial and innovation chains.
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