Analyzing College-Enterprise cooperation at Xinjiang Vocational College of Science and Technology: Addressing the Skills Gap in Vocational Education
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Effective college–enterprise cooperation is essential for developing skilled workers who meet industry demands. This study investigated the current models of college–enterprise cooperation at Xinjiang Vocational College of Science and Technology and examined the factors influencing cooperation effectiveness. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed. Quantitative data were collected from 754 participants, comprising 108 college administrators and staff, 285 enterprise representatives, and 361 students, using stratified random sampling. Data were collected through a validated questionnaire covering five constructs: cooperation models, resource management, communication, external environment, and cooperation effectiveness. Qualitative data were obtained through 19 in-depth interviews and four focus groups involving 30 participants selected using maximum variation sampling. Quantitative data were analyzed using multiple regression analysis, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically and integrated with the quantitative findings. The results indicated that college–enterprise cooperation effectively promoted education–industry integration, particularly through joint curriculum development and internship programs. All four factors significantly predicted cooperation effectiveness (R² = .464, F(4, 749) = 97.352, p < .001). The external environment had the strongest predictive effect (β = .452, p < .001, 95% CI [.343, .473]), followed by resource management (β = .268, p < .001), cooperation models (β = .232, p < .001), and communication (β = .121, p = .003). Qualitative findings further explained the implementation mechanisms and contextual challenges, particularly coordination delays and resource limitations. The study provides empirical evidence for strengthening college–enterprise cooperation by emphasizing the importance of external environmental conditions, effective resource management, appropriate cooperation models, and communication.
The findings may support improvements in curriculum alignment and workforce development, although the regional context and reliance on self-reported data may limit generalizability to other settings.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
References
Aliyeva, U. Y. (2022). The importance of business communication. Scientific Work, 79(6), 30–35.
Barney, J. B. (2019). Resource-based theory and the value creation framework. Journal of Management, 45(4), 21–40. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206318815603
Berlo, D. K. (2018). The process of communication: An introduction to theory and practice. Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
Bryson, J. M. & George, B. (2020). Strategic planning and organizational effectiveness in public service organizations: A research overview. Public Management Review, 22(1), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2019.1645872
Chen, F. (2024). Research on collaborative educational mechanism of school-enterprise cooperation in higher vocational colleges based on deep learning. Applied Mathematics and Nonlinear Sciences, 9(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.2478/amns-2024-0001
Chen, J. & Zhang, T. (2021). The impact of resource allocation on collaborative innovation performance in higher education institutions. Education and Economy, 34(2), 45–56.
Feng, X. (2023). College-enterprise collaborative education mechanism based on modern apprenticeship. International Journal of New Developments in Education, 5(19), 45–58. https://doi.org/10.25236/IJNDE.2023.051902
Geng, Z. & Wang, Y. (2023). Evaluating the effectiveness of China's vocational education reform: Evidence from school-enterprise cooperation programs. Journal of Vocational Education & Training, 75(3), 412–435. https://doi.org/10.1080/13636820.2023.2182456
Huang, G., Yang, T. & Xu, S. (2021). On the improvement of motive mechanism to enhance the college-enterprise cooperation on vocational education. Vocational Education Research, 38(2), 1–15.
Li, J. (2012). Exploration and practice of “2+6” professional practice teaching reform based on school-enterprise cooperation: Application-oriented universities talents joint cultivation of electrical engineering specialists by Hunan Institute of Engineering. Journal of Hunan Institute of Engineering, 22(1), 95–98.
Liu, Q. & Chen, X. (2020). The role of communication in industry-university cooperation: A case study of Chinese vocational colleges. Chinese Journal of Management, 17(4), 89–104.
Liu, S. (2022). Fit of professional setting and regional industrial structure of financial colleges in the Greater Bay Area from industry-education integration. Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing, 2022, Article 1234567. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/1234567
Locke, E. A. & Latham, G. P. (1990). A theory of goal setting and task performance. Prentice Hall.
Ministry of Education of China. (2023). Guidelines for deepening the integration of industry and education in vocational education. People's Education Press.
Mustafa, H., Mohammad Hussain, M. A. & Zulkifli, R. M. (2022). Industries and vocational training centres partnership: Issues and improvement plan. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 11(1), 89–104. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARPED/v11-i1/12234
Peng, F. & Zhang, F. (2021). Research and analysis on the model of school-enterprise collaborative education in higher vocational colleges. Advances in Educational Technology and Psychology, 5(4), 66–72.
Shao, J., Gao, C. & Zhou, L. (2023). Current situation and construction of innovation mechanism of school-enterprise cooperation and collaborative education in higher vocational education based on machine learning. Adult and Higher Education, 5(11), 23–35.
Wang, C. & Chen, J. (2023). The role of resource integration in enhancing innovation outcomes in vocational education. Journal of Educational Innovation, 32(4), 88–102.
Wang, L. M., Wang, H., Ji, Q., Wang, Y.-Z., Dong, Z.-J. & Han, X.-M. (2017). Practical exploration on the cultivation of college-enterprise cooperative engineering talents. DEStech Transactions on Social Science, Education and Human Science, 5(2), 1–8.
Zhang, X. & Liu, Y. (2021). Resource integration and collaborative innovation: A study of industry-academia cooperation. Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, 33(7), 749–765. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537325.2020.1812567
Zhu, M., Zhang, J. & Bao, S. (2011). Research on the cultivation of logistics engineering application talents by the diversification school-enterprise cooperation. Procedia Engineering, 15, 4173–4177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2011.08.784
Zhu, S. (2024). Strategies for building sustainable models of college-enterprise cooperation in vocational colleges in China. International Journal of Social Sciences and Public Administration, 2(2), 43–47.
