Jinan Daily APP:

In recent years, there has been strong demand for skilled workers in the labor market. What measures will be taken to boost the development of skilled workers? Thank you.

Li Zhong:

Thank you for your question. Skilled workers are a significant force supporting China's manufacturing and innovation. To advance high-quality development and build a modernized industrial system, cultivating a large-scale, well-structured, and high-quality force of skilled workers is of the utmost urgency. In terms of the development of skilled workers, we will prioritize work in the following aspects: 

First, we will give priority to improving skills and build a system of lifelong vocational skills training. We will establish a vocational skills training system centered around enterprises, with vocational schools as the foundation, and combining government promotion with social support. We will focus on key areas such as the digital economy and green economy, as well as key industries such as health care and elderly care, pay close attention to shortages of skilled workers in new growth drivers and new vocations, and guide workers to actively participate in vocational skills training.

Second, we will give priority to the principal role of enterprises and boost the development of enterprises by strengthening the skills of workers. We will foster an enterprise skill ecological chain integrating production, education and evaluation by encouraging leading enterprises to take the lead, industrial chain enterprises to work together, and technical schools to provide training resources. We will promote a new type of apprentice system for enterprises with Chinese characteristics. We will enhance the construction of bases for training highly-skilled personnel and studios for skilled masters, and enhance the basic capabilities of enterprises to cultivate highly-skilled personnel.

Third, we will give priority to the integration of industry and vocational education, and promote the high-quality development of specialized technical education. We will promote a skilled personnel training model integrating industry and vocational education, deepen school-enterprise cooperation, accelerate the development of regional, industrial and other types of technical education alliances and groups, and improve the quality of education. We will dynamically adjust and optimize the provision of specialties to promote the in-depth integration of talent training and industrial development.

Fourth, we will give priority to innovation in mechanisms, and ensure that development channels for skilled personnel are unimpeded. We will thoroughly implement the new eight-level vocational skill rating system, support enterprises to carry out assessments of special-grade senior technicians and chief technicians, and make explorations on promoting the expansion of integrated areas for the career development of highly-skilled personnel and professionals. A wide range of skills competitions will be held.

Fifth, we will give priority to incentives and guarantees, and make skilled employment more attractive. We will dynamically release information on the salaries of skilled personnel, make explorations on establishing category-based guidelines for minimum wages for skilled professionals, guide enterprises to gradually improve the pay and benefits of skilled personnel, and enhance the attractiveness of skilled positions. We will strengthen the commendations and incentives for highly-skilled workers, select and set role models, and create a favorable atmosphere for skilled employment.

Thank you.