The self-efficacy and professional engagement of novice teachers were examined in the context of a teacher development programme (TDP) in the Chinese vocational education context. A pre- and post-test control group design was used. The experimental and control groups contained 41 and 42 novice teachers, respectively, who were mostly in their first year. Multivariate analysis of co-variance and paired samples t-tests showed that the TDP had significant effects on two sub-scales of teachers' efficacy (i.e. classroom management and student engagement) and one sub-scale of professional engagement (i.e. planned persistence). Then, we discussed the possible explanations of these findings and proposed suggestions for future TDPs and further research.