On a wall of the competition venue in Austria, a dazzling array of industrial components glittered like a futuristic artwork, with the pieces connected by blue-green wires and moving on their own. This was the creation of Jiang Hao, which won him a gold medal at the WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition.

Chinese competitor Jiang Hao (C) attends the awarding ceremony of industrial control contest at the WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition in Salzburg, Austria, Nov. 27, 2022. Jiang won gold medal of the industrial control contest. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

Dubbed the "Olympics of skills," the event is recognized as the highest-level global vocational skills competition. Jiang was the first gold medal winner from China in the category of industrial control in five years , as a result of renewed efforts by the country's training institutions to elevate the specialized technical skills of its manufacturing workforce. 

"These accomplishments reflect China's commitment to boosting vocational education in high-end fields like advanced manufacturing, which will help tackle structural imbalances in employment," said Zhang Chenggang, director of the Research Centre for China's New Employment Patterns at the Capital University of Economics and Business. 

However, workers with highly sophisticated skills like Jiang are still a rarity. According to a survey published in 2022 by the China International Intellectech Corporation, 83% of manufacturers faced challenges in recruiting skilled labor. A manufacturing talent development guide released by departments including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology foresees that there will be a shortfall of around 30 million skilled workers in 10 critical manufacturing sectors by 2025.

A drone photo taken on Feb. 1, 2024 , shows people working at an auto parts factory in Liuyang city, Hunan province. [Photo/Xinhua]

Zhang said that, despite the advancements made in China's industrial upgrade and emerging sectors, many college graduates continue to prefer white-collar positions over manufacturing jobs, as they associate the latter with low wages which is often seen in traditional labor-intensive industries. 

To address these concerns, China in 2022 began to implement a new assessment system for skilled workers, introducing more sophisticated evaluation and incentives mechanisms for the group in order to facilitate job promotions and salary increases.  

Zheng Zhiming, a technician at Guangxi Auto in Guangxi province, became one of the first beneficiaries that year. Having been promoted to the rank of superior technician – a higher rank created by the new assessment system, he was earning the same pay and benefits as middle managers at his company. 

Data from Shanghai Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau shows that, in 2022, the city's skilled talent earned an average annual salary of 162,200 yuan, marking a 9.4% increase from the previous year. From 2019 to 2023, the wage growth for skilled talent has outpaced that of professional and technical staff by 12 percentage points. 

"Graduates in fields like welding technology and intelligent manufacturing often start with monthly salaries exceeding 10,000 yuan," said Jin Kejuan, president of the Fuyang Technician Institute in Anhui province. She said that the employment rate for graduates in the school could exceed 98%, adding that many companies are offering jobs to these students before they graduate due to the high demand for skilled personnel.

Yet raising the pay could not alone solve the shortage of high-skilled technical talent, especially when the country's vocational training programs are playing catch-up to demands of industries. 

According to Zhang from the Capital University of Economics and Business, hands-on training are lacking to adequately meet the requirements of enterprises, and simply adjusting the curriculums in schools and training institutions will not be enough to fix the issue. 

"We need the lifelong vocational skills training system to help improve workers' skills as industry gets updated," Zhang said.

In 2022, China released the first national five-year plan for vocational skills training during its 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), pledging to provide government-subsidized vocational skills training sessions to benefit more than 75 million people. Among the targets is adding 8 million people whose skills reach the levels of senior mechanic, technician, and senior technician.  

Zhang said that, with more emphasis on vocational training and education, skilled workers will also enjoy higher social status. "This is a gradual process that will require a long time, and such growth is in accordance with the nation's economic development."

Jiang Hao attends the industrial control contest at the WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition in Salzburg, Austria, on Nov. 26, 2022. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

Jiang Hao was among the first to benefit from the country's innovative vocational training system. His journey began at Liaoning Engineering Vocational College in 2015, coinciding with the establishment of the national training base for the industrial control project of the WorldSkills Competition. This initiative aims to cultivate top-tier talent in industrial control technology – a cornerstone for China's advancement in intelligent manufacturing and high-end industries.

The program, offered free to students, is taught by experienced skilled workers, aligning closely with industry needs and technological trends, according to Tian Kun, deputy director of the competition service center at the college.

Jiang said he believes that highly skilled talent, particularly in the advanced manufacturing sector, have promising career prospects. "The sector demands proficiency in mechanical processing, computer numerical control, and foundational knowledge in electrical and information technologies. The lifelong vocational training system is crucial for developing such interdisciplinary skills," he said.

After winning the award, Jiang said he turned down a lucrative job offer to become a technician and chose to be a teacher at his school. "I will share the knowledge I gained from the competition and play my part in developing China's skilled workforce," he said.