Yu Hui, founder of the Shanghai Tangshishi Baking School, says that most of its students have had good career prospects after completing their studies. Some have even started their own businesses.

In addition to baking training, the school-which takes in around 600 students a year-also offers students courses on how to open their own bakeries. Practical training is also carried out in an actual bakery.

"The country's call for mass entrepreneurship and the need for diversified technical talent have changed the views of parents and wider society regarding vocational education. It is no longer seen as inferior to college education," says Yu.

Also present at the World Youth Skills Day event was He Wenquan from the cultural service center of Yexie town in Shanghai's Songjiang district. There, he led a group of masters who presented their bamboo weaving skills.