Bridging Language and Skills: An Empirical Assessment of Chinese-Integrated TVET Programs and Labor Market Outcomes in Ethiopia

Abstract

This study looks at the consequences arising from Chinese-sponsored Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes implemented in Ethiopia. Drawing from a convergent mixed-methods framework, the fieldwork component included surveys with 324 trainees as well as 48 stakeholder interviews across six colleges. Focused on within-Ethiopia’s rapidly growing manufacturing employment landscape, the analysis incorporated the CIPP evaluation model and sought to understand the impact of embedded Chinese-language classes on students’ employability prospects. Quantitative and qualitative results converge on one striking finding: graduates gained the equivalent of 2.3 HSK proficiency levels alongside 34.7 percentage points improvement in technical assessment scores, yet 91.2 per cent were employed within mere months of graduation at nearly 47 per cent higher wages compared to their counterparts from traditional TVET pathways. Five themes recurrently articulated the explanatory factors behind this success: strong industry partnerships, active leadership support, consistent moral encouragement, focused administrative oversight, reliable workshop resources, and streamlined organizational structures. Contradicting these factors were equally tangible realities: many instructional staff were unqualified in advanced Chinese, materials were at times stagnant, and classes were at times oversubscribed to teaching staff. The Ethiopian case informs the discussion on South-South collaboration by providing implications for scholars and policymakers interested in aligning vocational curricula with the Long-Term Plan of Ethiopia and the Belt and Road Initiative of China.