The 18th China International Software Exhibition, with the theme “Software Leads Information Consumption and Helps With Economic Transformation and Upgrading”, was held in Beijing from May 29th to 31st, 2014. The Education and Training Committee of the China Software Industry Association (CSIA), together with the School of Software of the Open University of China (OUC), jointly organized the “Software Talents Training Forum” on May 30th, which welcomed more than 100 conference representatives from colleges and universities, industries, and enterprises.
Vice President of the OUC, Yan Bing, and related staff from the School of Engineering delivered presentations at the forum.
The “Software Talents Training Forum” mainly analyzed the current situation and trends in Chinese software talent training in 2013, explained relevant policies of the OUC School of Software, as well as showcased achievements in online education.
Vice President of the OUC, Yan Bing, delivered a speech on Supporting Industries & Enterprises in Building a Lifelong Learning Bridge for All People. He introduced the development history, and strategic transformation of the OUC and the key points of the Strategic Plan for the Open University of China. He also reviewed the course of cooperation between the OUC and CSIA and explained the Assistance Plan of the OUC.
Yan Bing noted that cooperation with industries and enterprises in operating the school is an important management characteristic of the Radio and TV Universities (RTVUs) and an integral part of the development strategy of the OUC. Currently, the OUC is joining hands with ministries and departments in relevant industries to carry out intensive research on such problems as “Top Design” for the cooperation between the OUC and the industries, and policy innovation in this regard. Currently, there are two important issues which need equal attention when pushing forward the exploration of cooperation between the OUC and industry. First is the pilot construction of the School of Industries of the OUC; Second is the special pilot programme “Assistance Plan for the Growth and Development of the New Type of Industrial Workers”.
Mr. Yan highlighted the “Assistance Plan for the Growth and Development of the New Type of Industrial Workers”. The Plan will rely on the school management system of the OUC, including the headquarters, its branches, local colleges and schools, learning centres, and the schools in the industries and enterprises, etc….and fully enter into cooperation with related ministries, departments, industry associations, enterprises, and workers’ unions. It will take full advantage of modern information technology and integrate high quality education and teaching resources into society in order to provide academic and non-academic continuing education for on-the-job employees working on the front lines in the production and service sectors, and to provide services for the transformation and upgrading of various enterprises by helping the employees to grow and develop. To be specific, it mainly covers the following three areas: Firstly, to carry out higher vocational education targeted at training on-the-job employees that will start from the junior college level and will focus on such majors as modern manufacturing and modern services (mainly manufacturing services); Secondly, to carry out occupation qualification certificate education and job skills training; Thirdly, to provide curriculum and learning resources for industry and enterprise employee training as well as lifelong learning, especially to offer supportive services for areas like digital learning. Through the implementation of this Assistance Plan, there will be a talent cultivation pattern and quality assurance mechanism for the new type of industrial workers that will reflect the lifelong learning concept and characteristic of the OUC, there will be a lifting of the OUC system’s comprehensive operating mechanism and teaching ability for providing education and training services for the lifelong learning of enterprise employees, and there will be impetus given to the construction of the OUC and the strategic transformation of the RTVU; there will also be developments in new methods and mechanisms for cooperation between the OUC and industry, enterprises, regular institutions of higher learning, higher vocational colleges, combined credit bank construction, and various pilot programmes for the accumulation , accreditation and transfer of learning outcomes, and in exploring further services for the construction of learning industries and enterprises all with the goal of building a bridge to lifelong learning
Mr. Yan said that, as per the requirements of the Ministry of Education, the OUC is taking the initiative to step up the construction of the pilot credit bank programme and exploring the promotion of the vertical and horizontal connections of various learning outcomes through the accumulation, accreditation and transfer of learning outcomes. It has built up 47 learning outcomes accreditation sub-branches all over the country and has cooperated with 20 industries in setting up standards for accreditation and transfer of learning outcomes. Additionally, it is currently working together with some industries to start pilot programmes for the mutual recognization of learning outcomes.
At last, Yan Bing hoped that the establishment of the OUC School of Software and the implementation of the Assistance Plan will be two opportunities for cooperation between the OUC and CSIA to reach a new level of collaboration. He also wished that the partnership will set up a good model for cooperation between the OUC and other industries and thus play an exemplary and leading role in OUC’s exploration for new methods and mechanisms in working together with various industries. Finally he expected that the construction and development of the OUC and its School of Software will be able to garner even more attention and support.
By Wang Ran, the OUC