Tianjin launched its 2025 Skills Week on May 13 in the city's Hedong district, placing a strong focus on vocational training and employment.

At the opening ceremony, the city rolled out the "Skills Illuminate the Future" campaign to deliver targeted vocational training in key sectors such as advanced manufacturing, eldercare and childcare services, modern service industries, and emerging occupations.

The initiative is designed to support key employment groups by aligning skills training with job placement services. Over 100,000 people are expected to benefit from subsidized training programs throughout the year.

In recent years, Tianjin has promoted the "Haihe Craftsmen" construction project, continuously enhancing vocational skills development and strengthening the skilled workforce.

Training system

Tianjin has established a comprehensive training system led by enterprises, supported by vocational schools, guided by government policies, and backed by society. The city issued vocational skills training regulations to promote a rule-of-law approach to skills training. Since 2021, Tianjin has delivered 732,000 subsidized training sessions, surpassing the targets set in the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25).

Skills evaluation

A performance- and competency-based skills evaluation system has been refined. Enterprises are encouraged to independently assess and appoint senior technicians. To date, Tianjin has appointed 87 chief technicians and 99 senior technicians, with a total of 446,600 skill level certifications issued.

Platform development

The city has established 514 enterprise training centers and built a robust infrastructure of high-skilled talent bases and master studios. This includes 33 national and 65 municipal high-skilled talent training bases, along with 40 national and 97 municipal master studios, providing strong support for talent development.

Skills competitions

Tianjin has successfully hosted five consecutive "Haihe Craftsman Cup" competitions, each featuring over 100 events and attracting nearly 100,000 participants. The city also hosted the 2nd National Vocational Skills Competition in 2023, achieving significant results. Tianjin's training base contributed to China's success at the 47th World Skills Competition, where the national team won seven gold medals and one Medallion for Excellence.

Technical education

Tianjin currently has 15 technical schools with a total enrollment of 22,400 students and a graduate employment rate exceeding 98 percent. The city emphasizes Party leadership, school-enterprise cooperation, and diverse educational models, while promoting integrated learning and work programs to improve program alignment and education quality.

Talent incentives

The city established the Haihe Craftsman Award, selecting 10 winners annually, each receiving a 200,000 yuan ($27,780) reward. Every two years, 100 "Technical experts" are recognized with a 20,000 yuan award. To date, Tianjin has named 50 "Haihe craftsmen" and 739 "Technical experts", some of whom have received special government allowances from the State Council.

Brand building

Tianjin continues to promote the "Haihe Craftsman" brand through activities such as Skills Week, award ceremonies, and the establishment of training bases and "craftsman homes". These efforts help foster a spirit of craftsmanship and cultivate a social environment that values skilled labor.