In recent years, the EV car industry has emerged as a strategic emerging sector, playing a pivotal role in national economic development, technological innovation, and the advancement of new productive forces. With the rapid evolution of technologies such as 5G, big data, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things, the automotive sector is leveraging trends like electrification, connectivity, intelligence, and sharing to achieve unprecedented growth. However, this rapid expansion has highlighted a critical bottleneck: a shortage of high-quality technical and skilled talent, which threatens to impede the progress of EV cars. As higher vocational institutions strive to meet the demands of this dynamic industry, there is an urgent need to innovate talent cultivation models for EV car-related programs. Under the New Double High initiative—a national strategy aimed at enhancing the quality and capability of vocational education—the evaluation指标体系 for talent cultivation has undergone significant changes, introducing new requirements that emphasize alignment with industrial needs, practical skills, and holistic development.
The New Double High perspective mandates that talent cultivation must closely integrate with regional industries, national strategies, and evolving market demands. This involves a comprehensive approach that includes deepening industry-education integration, fostering innovation and sustainability, and developing students’ comprehensive qualities and international perspectives. For EV car programs, this means重构课程体系, updating teaching content with the latest standards and technologies, and strengthening partnerships with enterprises to build practical training bases. In this paper, I explore the common challenges faced in cultivating talent for EV car programs under this new paradigm, propose a reform model termed “One Integration, Two Vibrations, Three Advancements, and Four Connections,” and present practical outcomes based on implementation. Through this, I aim to provide a framework for enhancing the quality of EV car talent cultivation in higher vocational education, ultimately supporting regional economic development and industrial upgrading.
Under the New Double High initiative, the requirements for talent cultivation quality have evolved to emphasize a holistic and adaptive approach. Specifically, these new demands focus on several key areas: First, talent cultivation must be tightly aligned with regional industrial chains, national strategic needs, and the rapid technological advancements in sectors like EV cars. This ensures that educational content remains relevant and responsive to market dynamics. Second, there is a heightened emphasis on practical abilities and professional素养, achieved through deep industry-education integration that bridges the gap between theory and real-world applications. For instance, in EV car programs, this involves incorporating hands-on experiences with electric vehicles, battery systems, and intelligent driving technologies. Third, the initiative encourages innovation and sustainable development capabilities, preparing students to adapt to the fast-paced changes in industries centered on EV cars. Additionally, it promotes the integration of moral education with skill development, fostering a sense of social responsibility and ethical conduct. Finally, the New Double High perspective advocates for internationalization, aiming to export Chinese vocational standards and cultivate talents with global competencies. These requirements can be summarized by the following formula representing the overall quality of talent cultivation: $$Q = \alpha \cdot I + \beta \cdot P + \gamma \cdot C + \delta \cdot M$$ where \(Q\) denotes the talent cultivation quality, \(I\) represents industry-education integration, \(P\) stands for practical skills, \(C\) for comprehensive qualities, and \(M\) for moral education, with coefficients \(\alpha, \beta, \gamma, \delta\) reflecting their respective weights under the New Double High framework.
Despite the progress in EV car programs, several persistent issues hinder the effectiveness of talent cultivation. One major problem is the insufficient integration of ideological and political education with professional training. In many higher vocational institutions, the focus remains predominantly on knowledge transfer and skill development, with limited attention to value shaping and ethical development. This results in a lack of clarity in the ideological goals for EV car programs, poorly constructed key elements in course-based ideological education, and low participation in思政activities. For example, in EV car courses, instructors often prioritize technical aspects like battery maintenance or electric motor repair over embedding elements such as national pride in EV car brands or the spirit of craftsmanship. Another issue is the mismatch between social demands and educational outputs. The EV car industry encompasses a complete产业链from raw materials and components to manufacturing, sales, and after-sales services, involving cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence and energy storage. However, traditional automotive programs often emphasize mechanical and electrical fundamentals, failing to align with the multifaceted skill sets required for EV cars. This disconnect leads to graduates who are ill-prepared for roles in emerging areas such as EV car data annotation or intelligent system maintenance. Furthermore, the depth of industry-education integration is often inadequate. Although initiatives like industry-education integration communities have been promoted, challenges in cross-sector collaboration, policy interpretation, and interest distribution among stakeholders result in superficial cooperation. For instance, in EV car programs, partnerships with enterprises may lack substantive mechanisms for resource sharing and co-development of curricula, limiting students’ exposure to real-world EV car production environments.
To address these challenges, I propose a reform model dubbed “One Integration, Two Vibrations, Three Advancements, and Four Connections” for EV car talent cultivation. One Integration refers to the deep fusion of industry and education, involving multiple stakeholders in collaborative education. This entails signing agreements with EV car manufacturers, such as those producing electric vehicles, to donate vehicles and components for teaching, jointly develop talent cultivation plans, and facilitate teacher training in EV car technologies. For example, through partnerships, students gain access to state-of-the-art EV car models for hands-on practice, while enterprises provide internships in areas like EV car assembly or quality inspection. Two Vibrations emphasizes the resonance between professional education and ideological-political education, as well as corporate culture. This involves setting clear ideological goals for each semester, such as fostering a “professional identity—EV car expertise—skilled craftsman” mindset. In classrooms, mixed teams of professional and ideological teachers deliver integrated content, while extracurricular activities like EV car cultural festivals and skill competitions reinforce values such as brand confidence and innovation spirit. The ideological progression can be modeled as: $$I_t = I_0 + \sum_{i=1}^{t} \Delta I_i$$ where \(I_t\) represents the ideological level at semester \(t\), \(I_0\) is the initial level, and \(\Delta I_i\) denotes the incremental improvement through targeted activities. Three Advancements focus on a progressive skill development pathway: basic skills from foundational courses, core skills from specialized courses, and innovative-entrepreneurial skills from advanced modules. For instance, in an “EV Car Electrical Systems and Maintenance” course, basic skills include tool usage and safety protocols, core skills involve fault diagnosis using specialized equipment, and advanced skills cover system optimization and innovation projects. This progression ensures that students build competencies step-by-step, preparing them for complex tasks in EV cars. Four Connections ensure that course settings align with enterprise positions, course content matches occupational standards, teaching processes mirror production processes, and academic certificates correlate with enterprise certifications. Specifically, curricula are co-designed with EV car companies to reflect real job roles, such as EV car technician or data analyst. Teaching incorporates on-site training in production lines, and assessments are based on enterprise evaluations, leading to recognized certifications for EV car operations.
The implementation of this reform model has yielded significant positive outcomes in EV car programs. In terms of enrollment, the first-choice rate for EV car majors has consistently exceeded 98% from 2020 to 2024, indicating high student interest and program attractiveness. Employment data, as shown in Table 1, reveal that graduates from EV car programs achieve an average employment rate of over 98%, with a professional对口rate of 74%. Moreover, the average monthly income for graduates has risen from approximately $600 in 2020 to over $700 in 2024, reflecting the enhanced value of EV car talents in the job market. Employment satisfaction has also improved逐年, as detailed in Table 2, with over 95% of graduates expressing contentment with their careers in the EV car industry. Additionally, skill certifications have seen remarkable success, with 100% of students obtaining vocational qualifications and many earning enterprise-specific certificates for EV car roles. For example, in 2022, 11 students received certifications from a leading EV car manufacturer, enabling them to work independently in areas like EV car maintenance and assembly. Competitions have further demonstrated the effectiveness of this model; students have won numerous awards in international and national events, such as the China-ASEAN Education Exchange Week EV Car Virtual Fault Diagnosis and Repair Competition, highlighting their advanced skills in handling EV cars. The following tables summarize key metrics:
| Year | Employment Rate (%) | Professional Alignment Rate (%) | Average Monthly Income (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 98.5 | 72 | 600 |
| 2021 | 98.7 | 73 | 630 |
| 2022 | 99.0 | 74 | 670 |
| 2023 | 99.2 | 75 | 690 |
| 2024 | 99.5 | 76 | 720 |
| Metric | 2022 (%) | 2023 (%) | 2024 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment Satisfaction | 92.7 | 95.3 | 97.1 |
| Vocational Certification Rate | 98.0 | 99.0 | 100 |
| Enterprise Certification (e.g., EV Car Upgrading) | 45 | 50 | 60 |
The success of this reform can be attributed to the synergistic application of the “One Integration, Two Vibrations, Three Advancements, and Four Connections” model, which addresses the core issues in EV car talent cultivation. For instance, the integration with EV car enterprises ensures that students gain practical experience with real EV cars, enhancing their employability. The ideological resonance fosters a sense of responsibility and innovation, crucial for the evolving EV car industry. The skill progression, represented by the formula $$S = S_b + S_c + S_i$$ where \(S\) is the total skill level, \(S_b\) denotes basic skills, \(S_c\) core skills, and \(S_i\) innovative skills, ensures a comprehensive competency build-up. Finally, the connections with industry standards guarantee that graduates meet the demands of EV car-related jobs, as evidenced by the high certification rates and employer willingness to rehire, which stands at 97.44% according to recent surveys.
In conclusion, the reform and practice of talent cultivation for EV cars under the New Double High perspective have demonstrated substantial improvements in enrollment, employment, and skill development. By deepening industry-education integration, resonating ideological and professional elements, advancing skills progressively, and connecting education with industry standards, higher vocational institutions can effectively address the challenges in EV car talent cultivation. This model not only enhances the quality of graduates but also supports the sustainable development of the EV car industry, contributing to economic growth and technological advancement. As the EV car sector continues to evolve, further innovations in talent cultivation will be essential to nurture the craftsmen and innovators needed to drive the future of electric vehicles.