Empowering Ningbo's workforce with new skills, opportunities

To enhance the skills and career prospects of its nearly 6 million industrial workers, Ningbo, Zhejiang province has introduced the "Excellence in Craftsmanship" initiative.

The program is designed to address the critical needs of these workers, allowing them to gain new skills and increase their earnings, thereby giving them a more promising future.

As traditional manufacturing rapidly shifts towards intelligent and digital operations, the demand for skilled workers in these areas has intensified. Ningbo is channeling training resources towards digital manufacturing to cultivate this talent. The city plans to establish over 1,000 training centers across the city.

In Beilun district, the Dagang Industrial Community recently started a new round of the "Precision Skills Empowerment Camp".

"Having researched the needs of businesses, we will roll out 10 training courses, including CAD drawing and industrial robot applications, in collaboration with vocational schools and training institutions. More than 4,000 workers have signed up so far," said Chen Xuebo, Party secretary of the community.

To encourage small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to participate in talent development, Ningbo has implemented a strategy of using competitions to promote and evaluate training. The city organizes over 200 vocational skills competitions annually, facilitating the rapid advancement of workers' skills and the identification of top artistic talent. Training organizations can receive rewards of up to 300,000 yuan ($41,573) for their efforts.

"For each worker trained, companies can receive a 600-yuan reward, with a maximum of 30,000 yuan per year. Additionally, companies can earn a one-time reward of 20,000 yuan for each new skill certification obtained by employees," said Pan Boxu, deputy general manager of Ningbo Century Constant Auspicious Autocontrol Tech Co Ltd.

Pan noted that these incentives reduce costs for businesses and increase their commitment to employee development.

Ningbo has also recently introduced "Skills Enrichment Loan" financial products.

Recently, Zhang Zhenling, head of Jiangbei Tenglong General Components Co Ltd, secured an 800,000-yuan loan from a bank using his senior welder certification.

"It feels empowering to get a loan based on my skills. It's practical and brings a sense of pride," he said.

This year, Ningbo aims to increase its number of skilled workers by 80,000. By 2027, the city hopes to have a total of 2 million skilled workers.