Comparative Analysis of China and Philippine TVET Systems: Implications for Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering and Smart Agriculture Development

Abstract

The study focused on analyzing the structural and institutional characteristics of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system in China; through this, it evaluated the potential replicability of China's TVET model within the Philippine context with a focus on Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering education, workforce development, and agri-industrial modernization. Using qualitative comparative research design, immersion-based learning from a 20-day international vocational education seminar in China, and document analysis of the National Technical Education and Skills Development Plan (NTESDP) 2023–2028 were utilized. The analysis was informed by frameworks from comparative education and policy transfer, focusing on seven dimensions: integration of industry–education system; lifelong learning and articulation of different systems; governance or institutional coordination strategy to align higher education with regional industrial transformation; digitalization and Industry 4.0; and legal/institutional foundations; and compatibility with Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering education systems. The study researched the applicability of these mechanisms to promising Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering areas including smart agriculture, agricultural mechanization, precision farming, food processing technologies, and sustainable rural development. Results show that the TVET System in China is characterized by its policy coherence, coordinated governance, integrated implementation mechanisms and institutionalized industry participation to support workforce and technology development. The results of the study confirmed the relevance of these institutional mechanisms to improve Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering through reinvigorated industry engagement, interdisciplinary training and integration of precision agriculture. In contrast, while the Philippines shows some similar policy directions, its fragmented governance system, uneven institutional capacity and limited responsiveness to labor-market demands pose important challenges. The transferability analysis revealed that industry–education integration, digital transformation and agricultural modernization are the areas most likely to be beneficial for improving Philippine Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering education systems. The research ends with a suggestion that in order to enable the successful transfer policy it will require collaborative governance, institutional capacity building, adaptive integration mechanisms and better partnerships between industry to facilitate sustainable agricultural modernization and rural workforce development.