The Contribution of Vocational Education and Training to Social Mobility in China: A Systematic Review

This study systematically reviews empirical research on the relationship between vocational education and training (VET) and social mobility in China, with a particular focus on the mechanisms through which educational stratification is reproduced or mitigated. Following the PRISMA-2020 protocol, the review synthesises 13 SSCI- and CSSCI-indexed studies to examine how VET shapes mobility outcomes across institutional, cultural, and individual levels.
The analysis shows that VET in China provides limited but non-negligible mobility returns. It facilitates labour-market entry, employment stability, and modest income gains, especially for individuals from rural and low-socioeconomic backgrounds. However, these gains rarely translate into sustained upward mobility in social status. Structural tracking, regional inequalities, and the persistent symbolic devaluation of vocational credentials constrain the long-term conversion of vocational qualifications into recognised social advantage.
To explain this pattern, the study advances social labelling as a key analytical mechanism linking institutional arrangements, cultural capital conversion, and individual trajectories. Rather than functioning solely as a skills-based mobility channel, VET operates within a stratified symbolic order that conditions the value of its credentials. The findings contribute to stratification research by demonstrating how educational pathways can simultaneously enable labour-market inclusion while reproducing broader hierarchies of status and recognition.