OREANDA-NEWS. Guizhou, one of the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC's) least developed provinces, has embarked on a $1.6 billion reform program of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to build skills among the workforce and improve employment prospects for young people. Guizhou province and ADB have been developing this program since 2013, and ADB on 8 December approved a $150 million loan in support of the program.

“Guizhou needs a highly skilled workforce to meet the demands of a rapidly growing and diversifying economy,” said Sofia Shakil, an ADB Senior Education Specialist. “The reform program focuses on creating an inclusive and industry-responsive TVET system to develop a human resource base that meets the province’s long-term economic development.”

ADB’s financial assistance will be released according to the results-based lending approach to achieve outcomes more effectively and efficiently by using country systems to support the implementation of the entire reform program, with disbursements linked to results rather than expenditure. This is the first time to apply the results-based lending modality in the PRC, while ADB has been piloting this approach in six other countries since March 2013.

To deal with a severe shortage of qualified professionals in construction, light industry equipment manufacturing, information technology, agricultural engineering and tourism, the program aims to increase the number of annual graduates in Guizhou from about 30,000 to 34,000 by 2019. It will strengthen the quality of teaching in TVET Demonstration Institutions by transforming the learning environment, upgrading facilities and ICT resources, and training over 8,000 teachers on pedagogical skills and subject knowledge.

The program will also help boost the capacity of TVET Demonstration Institutions to respond to industry requirements with measures such as an updated competency-based curriculum with 23 new subjects, associated learning materials, and teacher guides.

In addition, the program seeks to enhance management capacity across the provincial TVET network by training managers to implement institutional reforms, establishing an integrated provincial management information system platform responsible for program planning and coordination, and improving coordination between all TVET institutions and stakeholders.

ADB’s loan comes from its ordinary capital resources, and it complements $1.46 billion to be made available by the provincial government and $120 million by the beneficiaries.

ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members—48 from the region. In 2014, ADB assistance totaled $22.9 billion, including cofinancing of $9.2 billion.