On May 26th, the CEDF-Dell “Upskilling Future Workforce for the Digital Economy” 2023 Project Conference was successfully held in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China.
The conference was organised by the National Centre for Educational Technology (NCET) and chaired by Mr. Zhao Lin, the Director of the Vocational Education Teaching Resources Division of NCET. Other representatives, including Ms. Chen Yanhong, Vice President of Fujian Chuanzheng Communications College, Mr. Hua Wen Ge, Director of Fujian Center for Educational Technology, Mr. Yang Yanjun, Professor from Nanchang University, Ms. Zhuang Rongxia, Associate Professor of Beijing Normal University’s Institute of Vocational and Adult Education, and Mr. Lan Xiaoyu, General Manager of ICDL China, were among the distinguished guests.
The conference also witnessed the participation of project leaders from 26 schools and colleges in Fujian and Guizhou provinces.
During the welcoming speech, Ms. Chen Yanhong, Vice President of Fujian Chuanzheng Communications College express that the digitalisation of education is an important trend and development requirement which profound responsibility of educators in promoting the integration of digital technology and industrial development. Promoting the deep integration of digital technology, training and cultivating a large number of technical and skilled personnel with good digital literacy and strong professional abilities are the responsibilities of vocational colleges. She underlined that these responsibilities rest upon the shoulders of vocational colleges.
Mr. Hua Wen Ge, Director of Fujian Center for Educational Technology, echoed these sentiments in his speech, emphasising the alignment of this project with the developmental concepts of the country’s vocational education system. He lauded the project’s invaluable contribution to innovative methods of enhancing the information technology skills of vocational college students. He highlighted the significant progress achieved by 15 colleges in Fujian Province since November of the previous year. Looking forward, efforts will concentrate on the effective application of information technology in classroom reforms and professional training, aiming to deepen the integration of the ICDL project with the curriculum of project colleges to promote the construction of digital campuses of vocational colleges.
During the conference, Associate Professor Zhuang Rongxia, an esteemed academic from Beijing Normal University’s Institute of Vocational and Adult Education, delivered a keynote report titled “Vocational College Loose-leaf Teaching Materials.” Drawing upon her professional expertise, she analysed the content and characteristics of loose-leaf teaching materials, drawing insightful comparisons with work manual-style teaching materials from multiple dimensions. Associate Professor Zhuang expressed her hope that the discourse on vocational education textbooks would guide participants towards the utilisation of different teaching material formats and seamless integration with digital work. Through this approach, she aimed to facilitate innovative methods and models for cultivating the information technology skills of vocational college students in the digital economy era.
The conference also featured a keynote presentation on the “Strategic Approach of Digital Literacy among Vocational College Educators and Students in the Digital Economy Era” by Professor Mr. Yang Yanjun from Nanchang University. In his presentation, Professor Yang provided a detailed interpretation and professional analysis of the project from several aspects, including the demand for talent in the digital economy era, the connotation of digital proficiency, project concepts, best practice, and practical implementation of the project. His insights provided valuable guidance for the project and shed light on the important role of digital literacy in the development of vocational education.
Throughout the conference and forum session, project leaders from the 26 participating schools and colleges in Fujian and Guizhou provinces also shared the progress and best practices of the project in their respective institutions, facilitating valuable exchanges.
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