BEIJING: Fifty-two-year-old laborer Huang Yong in Southwest China’s Chongqing was overjoyed recently to be designated as a chief technician, the highest certified skilled worker in the country.
Chief technicians refer to workers who have a high skill level, good professional ethics and a lot of practical experience. They have abundant technical knowledge in their field, have made outstanding contributions in their field, possess great leadership qualities and are highly regarded in their industries.
Thanks to the new occupation rating system for skilled talent, Huang and two other workers became the first to receive the certification in Chongqing.
“I feel so proud because the new title has not only given me more recognition and respect, but also a brighter career,” Huang said. “Many of my younger colleagues are paying attention to my promotion, which may inspire them to make more progress.”
As China is striving to become a world manufacturing power, it needs a large number of skilled laborers. But the country is still grappling with a huge shortage.
There was a talent gap of over 19 million in China’s top 10 key manufacturing sectors in 2020. That figure is expected to grow to 30 million by 2025, according to the Guidelines for the Development of Manufacturing Talent, a report jointly released by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
To encourage more young people to work in factories, the government has reformed the vocational skill level rating system to provide a more promising career path for skilled laborers.
In January 2022, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security started exploring the establishment of a new eight-level vocational skill grading system for skilled talent: apprentice, junior worker, intermediate worker, senior worker, technician, senior technician, special technician and chief technician. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
