Wuxi has passed assessment by the Ministry of Education recognizing it as a "modern apprenticeship pilot unit", reported the Wuxi Municipal Education Bureau on Jan 4. The Wuxi Vocational Institute of Commerce also passed the evaluation.

The modern apprenticeship system is a new talent training mode pushed forward by the Ministry of Education in 2014. It is a "school-enterprise cooperative vocational education system" combining traditional apprenticeship training and modern school education. The modern apprenticeship system attaches great importance to the transmission of skills and features deep school-enterprise cooperation that involves the two sides working together on course standards and assessment solutions.

Wuxi was designated as one of the first pilot cities of the modern apprenticeship system in 2015, and has made significant progress in the integration of production and education as well as school-enterprise collaboration. A total of 26 vocational colleges and 82 companies including Heilan Group, Hodo Group and SK Hynix have launched 77 modern apprenticeship projects, recruiting over 3,000 students.

According to the local education authority, the city will further promote the successful experiences and examples to make the system a key way to train technical personnel and boost the city's development of modern industries.