In recent years, the term “spirit of the craftsman” has become a buzz word, repeatedly appearing in the government work report made by Premier Li Keqiang and included in the report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. The original meaning of craftsman is a person who has a professional skill, for example, a carpenter or blacksmith. As the manufacturing industry advances, in-depth targeted poverty alleviation is advancing along with it. The development of high quality skills and resources is becoming a theme of the times and the term of “craftsman” has surpassed its original meaning. The term “National Craftsmen” is used to refer to rare, high-end skilled professionals.
The term “National Craftsmen” concerns the destiny of a nation. As Sino-US trade issues escalate, “Made in China 2025” has once again caught the attention of the public. Looking back over world history, the manufacturing industry has significant strategic importance for a country. It is the foundation for building the country, the key to rejuvenation, and the basis for increasing national power. China’s rejuvenation cannot be realised without the power of the manufacturing industry and a strong manufacturing industry relies on high-quality skilled professionals. Only by cultivating millions of “National Craftsmen” can China become a true manufacturing power.
However, “craftsmen” are difficult to train. The current state of skilled professionals in China is not optimistic. Objectively speaking, China is now a county with insufficient skilled professionals. The statistics show that highly skilled workers account for 40% of industrial workers in Japan and 50% in Germany, while in China the number stands at just 5%. There is still a long way to go in China.
We must urgently solve the issue of how to carry forward the spirit of the craftsman and cultivate a nation of craftsmen. The author believes that the cultivation of craftsmen should not just focus on quantity; the key issue is upgrading. Increasing the quantity depends on vocational education and upgrading relies on the improvement of continuous education. The growth of a nation of craftsmen requires that people transition from being ordinary industrial workers and students, which is inseparable from lifelong education and continuing education.
The State Council recently issued Opinions on Implementing a Training System for Lifelong Vocational Education, in which it proposes strengthening the spirit of craftsman and vocational quality education. It states the need to adhere to the integration of industry and education, knowledge and action, and virtue and technology; make vocational ability the orientation with a focus on work performance; cultivate the combination of the spirit of the craftsman and professional ethnics; and optimise the evaluation system for skilled talents. This represents a solid step forward in constructing a continuing education system for craftsmen.
However, the cultivation of a nation of craftsmen should not rely solely on exquisite craftsmanship; it should also pay attention to improving comprehensive quality and ability. It is far from enough to depend on skills training. Instead, comprehensive and three-dimensional continuing education should be offered. At the policy level, we can consider launching a “Lifelong Learning Plan for National Craftsmen.” The advantages of colleges, universities, and institutions, should be leveraged to customise a training plan for craftsmen, set up a lifelong learning records system, carry forward the integration of non-degree and degree education, and construct a “bridge” for the growth of talents in order to accelerate the development of national craftsmen.
By Wang Yongfeng, OUC