"Skill battlefield spring exercise"! At a time when the financial crisis is severely impacting the garment industry, the first-ever intermediate vocational clothing technology competition in Guangzhou has begun. The competition aims to identify some "master craftsmen." These award-winning contestants can, on one hand, be admitted to higher vocational colleges with bonus points without taking entrance exams, and on the other hand, if they choose employment, they will become highly sought-after by companies.
Under shimmering blue light, 17- and 18-year-old girls in their bloom of youth are walking the "catwalk" in bikinis. The opening swimwear display by the models marked the beginning of the modeling competition, drawing intense focus from photographers.
It is reported that this competition was organized by the Guangzhou Municipal Education Bureau and hosted by the Guangzhou Textile and Garment Vocational School. The event spans two days and includes skill-based competitions such as computer pattern design and sample making, on-site paper pattern design and garment sewing, as well as model performances including swimwear displays, casual wear presentations, and uniform showcases.
The competition attracted a total of eight intermediate vocational schools from the province and city, with over 60 participants. Besides the dazzling performances on stage, the judging panel also shone brightly—comprising ten experts including China's top ten designers Deng Zhaoping and Li Xiaoyan, and Guangzhou’s renowned fashion critic Ou Zhihang. After the event, it was learned that the gold and silver awards for the model performance were both won by students from the Guangzhou Textile and Garment Vocational School.
For regular students, university dreams are realized through the college entrance exam (Gaokao), while vocational school students enter society through skills competitions. Intermediate vocational education skills competitions are known in the industry as the "Olympics of vocational education," and Guangdong has decided to hold annual intermediate vocational school skills competitions starting from 2009.
The reason why vocational skills competitions are so popular among vocational school students is that they offer more opportunities. It is understood that due to the impact of the economic situation, more than 10% of small and medium-sized garment enterprises have gone bankrupt, making the job market very severe. Meanwhile, preferential policies introduced in 2008 allow award-winning students in provincial-level skills competitions to be exempted from exams and directly admitted into intra-provincial higher vocational colleges. Many intermediate vocational students are increasingly inclined to pursue higher vocational education after graduation. For example, Zhang Jiechi from Class 6 of the 2007 Fashion Design program at the Guangzhou Textile and Garment Vocational School said, "With the current economic conditions not being favorable, many senior sisters used to work in factories, but now these factories have closed down, making it difficult to find jobs. It's better to continue studying."
It is reported that Guangdong Province will reward winners of skills competitions in various forms. Among them, those who win first prizes in the Guangdong Provincial Intermediate Vocational School Skills Competition and first, second, and third prizes in the National Vocational College Skills Competition can be directly admitted to relevant majors in intra-provincial higher vocational colleges without taking exams. Those who win second prizes will receive an additional 20 points on their unified exam scores when applying to intra-provincial higher vocational colleges, and those who win third prizes will receive an additional 10 points. Winners of honorable mentions will be given priority admission under equal conditions.
President Wang Jianxiong of the Guangzhou Textile and Garment Vocational School stated that there has indeed been a reduction in the number of recruiting companies coming to the school. "Since last year, many export-oriented companies in Dongguan have gone bankrupt, and the number of companies coming from Dongguan to recruit at our school has clearly decreased." Therefore, the school will hold a recruitment fair in March to provide more employment opportunities for students.
Despite the severe employment situation, the "martial champions" in the competition are still highly sought after by employers, with some companies even offering starting salaries of 5000 to 6000 yuan. Wang Jianxiong said that Guangdong's garment industry is extensive, with domestic sales accounting for a large share besides exports, and the domestic sales segment is developing relatively well. Taking the students from the academy as an example, they include both skilled talents and managerial talents, so the impact on employment isn't as significant as imagined. Experts believe that this not only shows that employers' talent views are gradually becoming more rational but also fully demonstrates that "master craftsmen" are just as needed by society as highly educated postgraduate and doctoral students.