This study explores the role of vocational education institutions (VEIs) in supporting China's transition to New Quality Productive Forces (NQPF)—a new economic paradigm characterized by intelligent, digital, and green production systems. Drawing on the legacy of Chen Jiageng, a pioneering industrialist and educator, we propose a values-driven leadership model that integrates ethical principles with intelligent technological transformation.Through a mixed-method approach involving surveys and case studies, we identify systemic barriers such as curricular inertia, misaligned incentives, and limited adoption of AI and digital tools. Our findings reveal that values-driven leadership, coupled with smart education technologies, enables VEIs to evolve into agile, innovation-oriented ecosystems.We propose a tripartite strategy: (1) fostering a shared vision for education–technology–talent synergy; (2) establishing AI-enhanced governance for industry-academia collaboration; and (3) promoting digital pedagogies and lifelong learning models. This research contributes to the discourse on sustainable vocational education reform in the era of intelligent manufacturing and offers a replicable model for global contexts.
Guan et al. (Sun,) studied this question.