Abstract: This article states the origin, basic meaning of trimester system, as well as its practice situations and the inspiration of China's higher vocational education.It discusses the methods and measures of higher vocational colleges to implement the trimester system:rationally divide the academic year into three semesters, optimize the curriculum structure, reasonably arrange learning content of off-campus work term, encourage teachers to participate in school-enterprise cooperation education, encourage students to actively take part in off campus work semester activity and engage in extensive publicity to prompt the trimester system reform to carried into effect.