Oct 17, 2026 — Forty-five countries jointly released the World Vocational and
Technical Education Standards Framework (Beijing Accord) at the closing ceremony
of the 2026 World Vocational and Technical Education Development Conference. The
framework sets shared values — promoting economic prosperity and social
progress, holistic human development, widening social equity, mutual skills
learning and future readiness — and recommends policy measures to strengthen
vocational school systems; build a national lifelong learning and training
system; co-develop curricula and teaching materials with industry; use
school-enterprise partnerships to develop teacher capacity; align internships
and practical training with actual job requirements; and promote AI-enabled
teaching reform. It also outlines governance, safeguards and implementation
pathways. The Beijing Accord is the first international vocational education
standard developed under Chinese leadership.
