A teacher instructs students at a practice class. (PHOTO: VCG)

By CHEN Chunyou & SUN Mingyuan

Recently, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS), together with the Ministry of Science and Technology and six other departments, issued a notice on implementing a plan to develop highly skilled personnel, which proposed that from 2024 to 2026, China will center on major national strategies, projects and key industrial needs, and mobilize all sectors of society to carry out technological innovation, skill improvement and development of talented personnel.

This move will be implemented in such fields as advanced manufacturing, strategic emerging industries and digital skills, pledging to take about three years to develop a new talent pool of more than 15,000 leading high-skilled experts.

This document highlights the training of talented personnel working in enterprises. According to the plan, enterprises are encouraged to spend more than 60 percent of the employee education funds on frontline staff education and training. They should create opportunities for this group in key projects, to sharpen their R&D technology skills through cooperative training and project collaboration with universities and research institutes.

The document encourages enterprises to give rewards such as bonuses and equity from the proceeds of the transformation of research results, to develop their top staff. In addition, experts who solve major process technology problems and major quality problems, and whose technological innovation achievements have won provincial or ministerial level awards, can be promoted to certain vocational skill levels.

Meanwhile, the protection of the intellectual property rights of leading personnel and the rights and interests they earned from the commercialization of technological innovation achievements are stressed. They will also get opportunities to participate in international projects, such as domestic and foreign large-scale industrial exhibitions, the South-South Cooperation Skill Development Network under the Belt and Road initiative, and foreign aid projects.

The government will also encourage top personnel to serve as mentors for younger staff in enterprises, and do part-time jobs at vocational schools.

"This aims to further create a good atmosphere in the whole society through the implementation of the training program for highly skilled personnel, and encourage workers, especially young people, to set their feet on the road of becoming technical experts," said MOHRSS.