China will help countries in need build capacity and improve the lives of their people, according to the 21st meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on Sept 17.

In the next three years, China will provide 1,000 training opportunities in poverty alleviation for other SCO countries, open 10 Luban Workshops, and launch 30 cooperation projects in such areas as health, poverty relief, culture and education under the framework of the Silk Road Community Building Initiative.

Luban Workshops are programs designed to offer high-end technical skills training that can help college students meet requirements of the emerging global market.

To date, 18 workshops have been established in Asia, Africa and Europe by Tianjin's vocational colleges, providing training skills and certifications for more than 200,000 students in 47 majors, including transportation, mechanical engineering and new energy.

Among the 47 majors offered by Tianjin vocational colleges, 10 have been recognized as part of the national diplomatic education system in Thailand and Djibouti, and others have become part of local curricula in different countries.

In the United Kingdom, the Tianjin Luban Workshop certificate has been listed in the UK National Vocational Qualification System. Students holding such certificates are qualified to work in the country and the European Union.

In the near future, Tianjin is scheduled to expand the programs to Switzerland, Russia, Ghana, Bulgaria and Morocco, said Yang Yan, vice-director of the Luban Workshop Research and Development Center of Tianjin Academy of Educational Science.

Apart from Tianjin's colleges, other provinces, including Hubei and Shandong, have established workshops overseas. They also announced plans to boost the workshops' presence.