Andrew Moore, managing director of Emtec Colleges Limited, grants IMI certificates to students at Chengdu Industrial Vocational Technical College. Photo provided to China Daily

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The flourishing international vocational education programs in Chengdu, capital of southwestern China's Sichuan province, are expected to provide strong support for local economic development.

Chengdu Industrial Vocational Technical College is one of the colleges in Chengdu that has expanded international vocational education cooperation with foreign counterparts in countries that include UK, the United States, Germany and Singapore.

Seventy-five graduates from the college's IMI program received IMI international qualification certificates last month, enabling them to find a job at an international company.

The college started working with the Institute of Motor Industry and Emtec Colleges Limited (ECL) affiliated with Central College Nottingham in 2002, and launched the IMI program in March 2012.

"The international education program brings in British courses and an evaluation system to cultivate professional auto mechanics at international standards," said Liao Debin, president of Chengdu Industrial Vocational Technology College.

"Senior mechanics cultivated by the program will provide strong support for the development of high-tech industries in Chengdu," he said, adding that Chengdu is already home to 255 Fortune Global 500 companies.

Malcolm Cowgill, principal and chief executive of Central College Nottingham, said China is a fast growing market for senior mechanics, and that’s why they started to seek cooperation in China twelve years ago.

Andrew Moore, managing director of Emtec Colleges Limited, said Chengdu is one of their major focuses in China because it is a dynamic city and big market in western China.

"The number of graduates from the IMI program increased to 74 from 14 last year, and we expect the number will continue to surge in the coming years," he said.

Shen Peng, director of the foreign exchange office at the Chengdu Bureau of Education, said the city has established cooperative agreements with 23 foreign organizations and companies to develop vocational education.

"The wide cooperation provides students with opportunities to receive international education resources without going abroad, and boosts the internationalization of Chengdu education as well," he said.