Vocational talent scores big in UAE contest

China’s skilled workers are more competitive than ever before: expert

China expects to see more people with top vocational skills, an expert commented on Thursday, after the Chinese team topped the medal table at WorldSkill 2017 in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the world’s largest vocational skills competition.

“China has an increasing number of skilled workers, which is essential for a successful economic restructuring, going from a world workshop to a world manufacturing power,” Li Changan, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics’ School of Public Administration, told the Global Times on Thursday.

The excellent performance of the Chinese at WorldSkill 2017 brought them 15 gold medals, 7 silvers, 8 bronzes, and 12 medallions, People’s Daily reported on Sunday.

The group had 52 competitors who took part in 47 games in the categories of transportation and logistics, structure and building technology, information and communications technology, and creative arts and fashion.

“WorldSkill is the epitome of China’s placing more importance on training of higher skilled workers, an area that was played down badly by society in the past,” Li explained.

This year was the fourth time for China to take part in the competition, after its first WorldSkills, in October 2010. In 2015, China took five gold medals, six silvers, and four bronzes at the same event, Shanghai Daily reported.

Li also said that, though there is an increase in the number of skilled workers, their quality is not enough to meet development needs, especially for the field of manufacturing.

China had about 165 million vocational workers at the end of 2015, accounting for about 20 percent of overall employment, Workers’ Daily has reported, citing Human Resources and Social Security Ministry data.

Li said however that some Chinese are still reluctant to consider a vocational education, since they see it as a choice for lower-performing students, with lower salaries. Another roadblock is the limited number of qualified faculty and the less-than-professional textbooks.

Good vocational workers need to be proficient in theory in their studies as well as having practical skills and a craftsman’s spirit, Li said.

Fortunately, China’s upgrading of its industrial chains means that vocational workers have more opportunities to show and improve their talent than ever before, and as a result, the skilled workers’ career path will be more competitive, Su Hainan, of the China Association for Labor Studies, told the Global Times.

At the end of 2016, China had 2,526 vocational schools, with 3,23 million students enrolled, according to the Workers’ Daily.