A technician debugs an industrial robot at Huashu Robot in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, May 15, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

China is now home to over 200 million skilled workers, accounting for approximately one-seventh of its total population. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), these workers have played an essential role in driving China's economic and social progress, supported by the country's proactive talent development policies.

Enhanced training system 

"My skills are certified by both my employers and the state -- making them highly marketable and my career path clear," said Huang Nuola, a garment quality inspector from south China's Guangdong Province.

Huang is one of many who have benefited from an industry-oriented training system. Across Guangdong, local authorities have invited major enterprises to participate in skills training and qualification programs, ensuring the training is aligned with employers' needs -- and about 130,000 workers from more than 800 companies have taken part in such enterprise-tailored programs.

Guangdong exemplifies what is a broader national effort -- with 2,440 public technical schools and nearly 29,000 private training institutions complementing one another nationwide to provide training services across a wide range of sectors.

In addition to diverse training providers, China has been providing subsidies to eligible trainees to encourage skills upgrading. Official data show that since 2021, over 92 million workers, including 30 million migrant workers -- have received such financial support for skills training.

To this end, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MHRSS) has announced that it will continue advancing a campaign to enhance workers' professional skills and establish a high-quality, lifelong and employment-oriented technical training system.

Ample career opportunities 

"With the new professional title system, the career glass ceiling I once faced has been broken. The increased salary also boosted morale," said Li Yanxu, a "special-level" technician from central China's Henan Province.

In 2022, China released a guideline which set up a new professional title system featuring eight technical titles -- three more than the previous five-tier system. This reform not only expanded the hierarchy of titles but also restructured related institutional mechanisms involving employment, compensation and promotion. Companies are encouraged to offer higher pay to workers with advanced professional skills.

Notably, more than 6,000 skilled workers have been promoted to the newly added "special-level" and "chief-level" technician posts. In state-owned enterprises, these highly skilled workers now receive salaries on par with or even higher than those of senior managers.

Meanwhile, to encourage skills development among workers in emerging fields -- China has been identifying new types of occupations and incorporating them into its national professional title system.

From 2021 to 2025, 72 new occupations have been officially recognized. This continuously evolving system ensures that workers in emerging sectors are consistently included, valued and provided with clear pathways for career development.

"Relevant mechanisms are fostering new drivers for employment, encouraging workers to improve their skills -- and enabling skilled workers to gain both social recognition and tangible benefits," said an official from the MHRSS.

More skills championships 

"By preparing for and participating in the competition, I hope to upgrade my skills, gain more industry knowledge, and get ready for next year's WorldSkills Competition," said Qian Mengying, a student majoring in apparel design at Wenzhou Technician Institute in east China's Zhejiang Province.

Since 2010, a Chinese team has participated in all seven WorldSkills Competitions -- winning a total of 93 gold medals. Domestically, a multi-tiered skills competition system has been established, including the national Vocational Skills Competition, regional skill contests and competitions organized by various industries. Over 10 million people take part in skills competitions at different levels each year through various forms of involvement.

These competitions provide workers with platforms for mutual learning and raise public awareness about the importance of skills upgrading and training, an MHRSS official said. "In the coming years, the ministry will introduce and implement more policies to cultivate a large, professional and well-structured skilled workforce in China," the official added.