This collection of growth stories features outstanding graduates from vocational colleges across China. Divided into two volumes, it brings together 97 stories of graduates from 19 major fields, each charting a different path to success in life and work. Every story is told in the first person, following the narrator’s journey through junior or senior high school, vocational secondary school or college, and working life.
This is the first volume, containing 46 stories. Among them are a master craftsperson who carves “wings” for missiles, a “checkpoint champion” who maintains the country’s most advanced equipment, a “head steward” aboard a high-speed train, and a repair worker who serves in a humble grassroots role while safeguarding the public. These vivid accounts showcase the many lives and dreams of vocational students. The book also includes sections such as “Career Guide: A Selection for Parents,” “Core Competency Models,” “Professional Certificates Needed After Entering the Workforce,” “Continuing Education Pathways,” “Main Career Options,” and “Key Professional Skills,” helping readers learn more about vocational education and industries in China today.
This is the second volume, containing 51 stories. Among them are an agricultural technician who specializes in “plant cloning,” a miner in the nation’s nickel capital, a woman in the countryside who is making dreams come true and proving herself every bit as capable as a man, a “dream chaser” deep in the mountains, and inheritors of intangible cultural heritage. These vivid accounts showcase the many lives and dreams of vocational students. The book also includes sections such as “Career Guide: A Selection for Parents,” “Core Competency Models,” “Professional Certificates Needed After Entering the Workforce,” “Continuing Education Pathways,” “Main Career Options,” and “Key Professional Skills,” helping readers learn more about vocational education and industries in China today.
By offering role models, this book aims to help middle school students and their parents, as well as current vocational students, understand vocational education and learn about the job prospects and career paths it offers. It brings career planning guidance to an earlier stage, raises society’s recognition of vocational education, and gives fresh impetus to its development.
