Xi marks opening of vocational contest

A contestant participates in the helicopter maintenance category of the first Vocational Skills Competition in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on Thursday. More than 2,500 contestants are taking part in the three-day event. [Zou Hong/China Daily]

Approved by the State Council, China's Cabinet, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security began holding national vocational skills competitions from this year.

The competition covers 86 events including industrial control, beauty treatment, hairdressing and carpentry. It is also viewed as an exercise for the 46th World Skills Competition in Shanghai in 2022.

About 47 percent of the competitors are vocational students, and skilled employees account for 10 percent of the competitors, according to the organizers.

With the youngest competitor aged 16, the contest has attracted people from different age groups. The most senior competitor is 58.

Jiang Guowei, deputy director of the training center of Jiangsu Electric Power Construction Co, is the coach of 26-year-old competitor Zhang Chuangye in the welding event.

He said that Zhang has worked in the company for about six years and his adept working skills have highly impressed his colleagues.

"Basic skill is our first consideration, but it's not the only quality," he said."What we want is a worker to possess good skills, potential and a fine personality, because all the skills will finally serve the development of a company and the industry."

Xinhua contributed to this story.