Research on the Adaptability of Vocational College Majors and Industry Empirical Study Based on 14 Vocational Colleges in Hainan, China

Vocational colleges bear the crucial responsibility of developing top-notch skilled professionals and catering to the needs of regional industries. The construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port underscores the unique aspects of higher vocational education, with a critical emphasis on designing majors that align with the regional industry framework for ensuring sustainable growth. It is crucial to improve the adaptability of professional settings in higher vocational colleges to meet the demands of industrial transformation and upgrading within the context of the Hainan Free Trade Port construction. Based on the empirical analysis, a lack of adaptability has been revealed in the professional settings of 14 higher vocational colleges and their alignment with the local industry structure. The main issues are an imbalance in major settings and an urgent requirement for blanking major programs. There is also a low concentration in major settings, leading to homogenization phenomena. Moreover, professional settings are focused on return rates, leading to the overcrowding of low-cost majors. To improve the adaptability of professional settings in higher vocational colleges and the industrial structure of the Hainan Free Trade Port, it is crucial that each college maintain the trend of industrial development. Major reform should be based on industry transformation, and multistakeholder participation should be prioritized. There should be continuous adjustments to professional settings and the optimization of major layouts to enhance matching with the industry structure. By doing so, the healthy and rapid development of higher vocational colleges in Hainan can be promoted.