China’s Vocational Education Boosts Job Prospects for Skilled Workers中国职业教育提升技术工人的就业前景

Wang Hao never doubted his ability to become a skilled welder.

王浩从不怀疑自己成为熟练焊工的能力。

Seven years ago， when he started to learn welding， he experienced an “arc eye，” an inflammation of the cornea caused by exposure to intense ultraviolet light.

七年前开始学习焊接时，他经历了“电光性眼炎”，这是角膜暴露在强烈紫外线下引起的一种炎症。

“I woke up one morning and found that my eyes could not open， they kept watering whenever I tried to close them，” said Wang Hao. “I even questioned whether I could continue to practice welding.”

王浩说：“有天早上我醒了之后就发现眼睛睁不开，闭着就一直流眼泪，我就在想我是不是学不了焊接。”

Another challenge in welding is the requirement for strong upper body strength， especially wrist strength to maintain stability throughout the welding process. To meet this demand， Wang kept doing 100 push-ups every morning as part of his strength-training routine for six years.

焊接的另一个挑战是需要强大的上肢力量，特别是手腕力量，这样才能在整个焊接过程中保持稳定性。为了满足这一需求，六年来王浩坚持力量训练，其中一项就是坚持每天早上做100个俯卧撑。

As building muscle memory through extensive repetition is important for welding， he practiced at least 12 hours each day， consistently honing his skills through repeated practice. His left arm bears scars from previous welding-related burns.

通过大量重复来建立肌肉记忆对焊接来说很重要，所以他每天至少练习12个小时，通过反复练习不断磨炼自己的技能。他的左臂还有以前焊接烧伤留下的疤痕。

Hard work paid off when he competed in China’s second Vocational Skills Competition this year and became the champion in the competitive welding event.

他的努力得到了回报。今年，他参加了中国第二届职业技能大赛，并获得了焊接项目的冠军。

Much like Wang Hao， many young individuals harbor aspirations of becoming skilled technicians and compete in the national competition. This year， the competition attracted over 4，000 contestants from across the country.

和王浩一样，许多年轻人都渴望成为熟练的技术人员，参加全国比赛。2023年，这项比赛吸引了来自全国各地的4000多名参赛者。

In addition to the traditional competitive events， 20 new skill categories related to emerging occupations and digital technology have been introduced， aligning the competition with the current trends.

除了传统的竞赛项目外，今年还增设了20个与新兴职业和数字技术相关的新技能类别，使竞赛与当前发展趋势保持一致。

For instance， autonomous mobile robotics is gaining increasing prominence in sectors such as banking， healthcare， and hospitality. The inclusion of the autonomous mobile robotics category in the competition aims to generate more public interest and attract a greater number of skilled professionals to this field.

例如，自主移动机器人在银行、医疗保健和酒店业等领域越来越受到重视。将自主移动机器人类别纳入比赛旨在激发更多公众兴趣，并吸引更多熟练的专业人士进入该领域。

More opportunities for young people to learn skills

年轻人学习技能的机会增多

Wang Hao was born in Panzhihua， a city in southwest China’s Sichuan Province. In 2016， he learned that technical colleges could offer practical technology education and promising employment prospects.

王浩出生于中国西南部四川省攀枝花市。2016年，他了解到技术学院可以提供实用的技术教育和广阔的就业前景。

Attracted by these opportunities， he chose to enroll in Panzhihua Technician College to pursue a welding program. After graduation， he successfully landed a job as a welding technician， fulfilling his career aspirations.

受到这些机会的吸引，他选择进入攀枝花技师学院攻读焊接专业。毕业后，他成功找到了一份焊接技术员的工作，实现了自己的职业抱负。

In recent years， many young indiv-iduals like Wang Hao have transitioned into skilled workers following technical school education.

近年来，许多像王浩这样的年轻人在接受技校教育后成为了技术工人。

“Students can receive waived tuition and fees， in addition to receiving a yearly living allowance of 3，000 yuan，” said Zhai Jun， a teacher in charge of admissions and student career guidance at Panzhihua Technical College.

攀枝花技师学院招就处处长翟军说：“为学生减免学杂费的同时，为每个学生提供每年每生3000元的生活补助，解决了像王浩这一类学生继续就读优质教育的后顾之忧。”

“Such support alleviates financial concerns and ensures they can pursue a high-quality education without worry.”

此外，据四川省人力资源和社会保障厅介绍，省内一些地区还出台了免住宿费等优待政策。

Besides， some areas within the province have introduced preferential policies， such as free accommodation， according to the Human Resources and Social Security Department of Sichuan Province.

Since 2016， Sichuan has invested nearly 2.5 billion yuan into technical education， granting young individuals the chance to continue their vocational education， and facilitating a seamless transition from school to the job market. In recent years， the employment rate of graduates from technical colleges in Sichuan province has maintained around 98 percent.

自2016年以来，四川已投资近25亿元用于技工教育，为年轻人提供继续接受职业教育的机会，并促进技能人才从毕业到就业的无缝衔接。近年来，四川省技工院校毕业生就业率保持在98%左右。

To encourage students in technical colleges to participate in national skills competitions， cities like Chengdu have introduced substantial rewards. Gold medalists in both national and municipal competitions are eligible for a maximum reward of one hundred thousand yuan.

为了鼓励技工院校的学生参加全国技能竞赛，成都等城市出台了优厚的奖励措施。国赛和市赛金牌选手最高可获得10万元的奖励。

China has been promoting the training of technical talents on a national scale. According to a national plan for the education of skilled workers， between 2021 and 2025， technical colleges across China will provide training to a minimum of 3.6 million students， and keep up the employment rate at not less than 97 percent for graduates.

中国一直在全国范围内推动技术人才的培养。根据国家技术人才教育计划，2021年至2025年，中国各地的技工学院将培训至少360万名学生，并将毕业生的就业率保持在97%以上。

To improve the quality of technical talent training， the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security （MOHRSS） also issued guidelines for 1，000 technical schools nationwide to implement integrated work and learning processes by 2025.

为提高技术人才培养质量，人力资源和社会保障部还发布了指导方针，到2025年，全国1000所技工院校实行工学一体化培养模式。

Brighter prospects for skilled workers

技术工人的前景更加光明

China has implemented laws and guidelines to elevate the status of vocational secondary schools and vocational colleges.

中国已经实施提高中职和职校地位的法律和准则。

Starting in 2021， the MOHRSS initiated a pilot program introducing a new eight-grade vocational skills grading system for skilled workers. This system includes two additional grades beyond the previous technical career ladder， namely “master technician” and “chief technician，” allowing technical employees to access higher pay and greater opportunities for career advancement.

从2021年开始，人力资源和社会保障部启动了一项试点计划，为技术工人引入“新八级”职业技能等级制度。这一制度在之前的技能等级之外加入了两个等级，即“特级技师”和“首席技师”，使技术工人能够获得更高的工资和更多的职业晋升机会。

Also， skilled workers are now encouraged to participate in professional title evaluations， a privilege that was once reserved for professionals such as engineers and accountants. Several provinces， including Heilongjiang， Jiangsu， and Henan， have introduced detailed policies to advance this reform.

此外，现在还鼓励技术工人参与职称评定，这一待遇曾经只有工程师和会计师等专业人士才有。包括黑龙江、江苏和河南在内的几个省份已经出台了详细的政策来推进这项改革。

“In countries like Germany， professions requiring technical skills， such as mechanical design， are considered prestigious，” said Yao Jiwei， a teacher at School of Higher Vocational and Technical Education， Tianjin University of Technology and Education.

天津职业技术师范大学附属高级技术学校教师姚继蔚表示：“在德国等国家，机械设计等需要技术技能的职业颇受尊敬。”

“These careers command high salaries and garner respect within society， and status of such professions in China is steadily increasing due to the government’s growing emphasis on vocational education，” Yao told CGTN.

姚继蔚告诉中国国际电视台：“这些职业的薪水很高，在社会上也很受尊重。由于政府越来越重视职业教育，这些职业在中国的地位正在稳步提高。”

（译者为“《英语世界》杯”翻译大赛获奖者）