China’s Vocational Education Boosts Job Prospects for Skilled Workers中國職業教育提升技術工人的就業前景

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

王浩從不懷疑自己成為熟練焊工的能力。

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.

七年前開始學習焊接時，他經歷了“電光性眼炎”，這是角膜暴露在強烈紫外線下引起的一種炎癥。

“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.”

王浩說：“有天早上我醒了之后就發現眼睛睜不開，閉著就一直流眼淚，我就在想我是不是學不了焊接。”

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.

焊接的另一個挑戰是需要強大的上肢力量，特別是手腕力量，這樣才能在整個焊接過程中保持穩定性。為了滿足這一需求，六年來王浩堅持力量訓練，其中一項就是堅持每天早上做100個俯臥撐。

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.

通過大量重復來建立肌肉記憶對焊接來說很重要，所以他每天至少練習12個小時，通過反復練習不斷磨煉自己的技能。他的左臂還有以前焊接燒傷留下的疤痕。

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.

他的努力得到了回報。今年，他參加了中國第二屆職業技能大賽，并獲得了焊接項目的冠軍。

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.

和王浩一樣，許多年輕人都渴望成為熟練的技術人員，參加全國比賽。2023年，這項比賽吸引了來自全國各地的4000多名參賽者。

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.

除了傳統的競賽項目外，今年還增設了20個與新興職業和數字技術相關的新技能類別，使競賽與當前發展趨勢保持一致。

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，自主移動機器人在銀行、醫療保健和酒店業等領域越來越受到重視。將自主移動機器人類別納入比賽旨在激發更多公眾興趣，并吸引更多熟練的專業人士進入該領域。

More opportunities for young people to learn skills

年輕人學習技能的機會增多

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.

王浩出生于中國西南部四川省攀枝花市。2016年，他了解到技術學院可以提供實用的技術教育和廣闊的就業前景。

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.

受到這些機會的吸引，他選擇進入攀枝花技師學院攻讀焊接專業。畢業后，他成功找到了一份焊接技術員的工作，實現了自己的職業抱負。

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

近年來，許多像王浩這樣的年輕人在接受技校教育后成為了技術工人。

“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.

攀枝花技師學院招就處處長翟軍說：“為學生減免學雜費的同時，為每個學生提供每年每生3000元的生活補助，解決了像王浩這一類學生繼續就讀優質教育的后顧之憂。”

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

此外，據四川省人力資源和社會保障廳介紹，省內一些地區還出臺了免住宿費等優待政策。

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年以來，四川已投資近25億元用于技工教育，為年輕人提供繼續接受職業教育的機會，并促進技能人才從畢業到就業的無縫銜接。近年來，四川省技工院校畢業生就業率保持在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.

為了鼓勵技工院校的學生參加全國技能競賽，成都等城市出臺了優厚的獎勵措施。國賽和市賽金牌選手最高可獲得10萬元的獎勵。

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.

中國一直在全國范圍內推動技術人才的培養。根據國家技術人才教育計劃，2021年至2025年，中國各地的技工學院將培訓至少360萬名學生，并將畢業生的就業率保持在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.

為提高技術人才培養質量，人力資源和社會保障部還發布了指導方針，到2025年，全國1000所技工院校實行工學一體化培養模式。

Brighter prospects for skilled workers

技術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.

中國已經實施提高中職和職校地位的法律和準則。

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.

從2021年開始，人力資源和社會保障部啟動了一項試點計劃，為技術工人引入“新八級”職業技能等級制度。這一制度在之前的技能等級之外加入了兩個等級，即“特級技師”和“首席技師”，使技術工人能夠獲得更高的工資和更多的職業晉升機會。

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，現在還鼓勵技術工人參與職稱評定，這一待遇曾經只有工程師和會計師等專業人士才有。包括黑龍江、江蘇和河南在內的幾個省份已經出臺了詳細的政策來推進這項改革。

“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.

天津職業技術師范大學附屬高級技術學校教師姚繼蔚表示：“在德國等國家，機械設計等需要技術技能的職業頗受尊敬。”

“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.

姚繼蔚告訴中國國際電視臺：“這些職業的薪水很高，在社會上也很受尊重。由于政府越來越重視職業教育，這些職業在中國的地位正在穩步提高。”

（譯者為“《英語世界》杯”翻譯大賽獲獎者）