The main content of the "Assistance Plan" of the OUC includes: Higher vocational education for incumbent enterprise employees; vocational qualifications and job skills training for incumbent enterprise employees; courses and learning resources available for the industry and enterprise staff training and lifelong learning, especially in terms of digital learning and other support services. The academic education in the "Assistance Plan" focuses on modern manufacturing and the manufacturing-related service industry. In the present stage, the courses are mainly available at the higher vocational education level with junior college diplomas.
Under the agreement, the two sides will carry out cooperation in terms of programme construction, curriculum construction, and personnel training. They will also launch the pilot programme when timing is appropriate for the customized pilots to better meet the needs of transformation and upgrading of businesses in Guangdong Province and for the growth and development of their staff. In regarding to non-degree education, the two sides will cooperate to carry out the national vocational qualification certificate education and job skills certificates training, bringing local certificates and the enterprise certificate together, thus promoting the joining of the school-running system of the OUC and the training system for enterprise employees. Also, through the credit bank system, both parties will implement an accreditation system, an accumulation and conversion pilot for staff learning and working outcomes, as well as jointly explore methods and means to create a path to lifelong learning for the incumbent staff. The two sides will jointly develop the "Assistance Plan" learning centre construction programme. By relying on enterprises and other relevant agencies, both sides intend to build the Experiment School Learning Centre of The Open University of China (Guangzhou Branch) through a combination of independent and joint construction, and undertake the organization and implementation of specific cooperation projects.
Yang Zhijian said that the OUC will make full use of its advantages of information technology, transferring the resources of the national digital learning resource centre and modern education resource library to the enterprise staff through Guangdong Education Network for Workers (http://www.zhigongjiaoyu.com). In due time, the OUC will open a number of courses tailored to the needs of enterprise training and lifelong learning needs of incumbent employees, providing a digital learning environment, learning resources, and other support services. In addition, the OUC provides support for the OUC’s Guangdong branch, Guangzhou branch, Shenzhen branch, and Guangdong Federation of Trade Unions in carrying out multifaceted, multi-level, and multi-form cooperation; offering support for the implementation of “Massive Training Campaign for Tens of Thousands of Workers”; providing education training support for the transformation and upgrading of enterprises in Guangdong and lifelong learning for workers.
The OUC’s "Assistance Plan" was launched in 2014, and since then, the local federation of trade unions, the enterprises, and the workers of Guangdong Province have actively responded to the Plan. From January to March 2015 alone, the Plan has provided a total of RMB 13.6 million in subsidies, including tuition subsidies for employees, training subsidies for trade unions at all levels, and skills training subsidies for HR departments. At present, the "Assistance Plan" has provided a variety of educational services for enterprise employees from 9,631 enterprises. Of which, over 30 enterprises have set up test sites for degree education examination; also 1,322 enterprises have been provided with an "enterprise learning services platform," delivering various subsidies and services directly to the staff. Currently, eight educational institutions have joined the "Assistance Plan" to create a practical project, with "job application-oriented" and "degree and vocational education integrated". The Plan offers customized training contents based on the personnel training needs for corporate restructuring and upgrading.
In addition, the "Assistance Plan" has set up the first corporate university - Wanbao Modern Enterprise University. With joint investment of the OUC, Guangdong Federation of Trade Unions, and enterprises, it is the first national modern university that integrates degree education, vocational skills training, and corporate jobs training. In the Learning Centre of the enterprises, the Plan provides comprehensive services for workers at all stages of the programme, from enrollment consulting, certificate acquisition, to getting subsidies.
By Yu Minsheng, the OUC