The Implementation Dilemmas and Execution Deviations of the "Industry-Education Integration" Policy in Vocational Colleges: A Case Study of Jiangxi Province

Abstract

Industry-education integration has become a central component of China's vocational education reform, yet the implementation of this policy varies significantly across regions. Jiangxi Province, despite being designated a pilot area, continues to experience notable difficulties in translating policy goals into substantive institutional practices. Existing research tends to focus on policy design or successful cases from economically developed regions, offering limited insight into how weak industrial ecosystems, misaligned incentives, and fragmented governance structures shape implementation outcomes in less-developed provinces. This study employs a qualitative multi-case approach, drawing on policy documents, institutional materials, public records, and interview-based evidence from Nanchang VR Industry College, Jiangxi Manufacturing Polytechnic, and vocational colleges in Ganzhou. The findings show that policy execution is constrained by three interrelated mechanisms: divergent incentives between colleges and enterprises, limited organizational capacity in teacher development and equipment modernization, and multi-agency governance fragmentation that generates inconsistent administrative demands. These mechanisms collectively lead to symbolic cooperation, unstable enterprise participation, and incomplete curriculum-industry alignment. The study contributes a three-dimensional analytical framework that explains implementation deviation in less-developed regions and offers practical insights for improving coordination, strengthening institutional capacity, and enhancing sustainable enterprise engagement.