China to fund further education for 3m industrial workers by 2030

August 20, 2026 (MLN): China is to extend financial backing to at least 3 million industrial workers for further education and skills upgrading through 2030, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions said in a plan.

The blueprint, spanning the 15th Five-Year Plan period from 2026 to 2030, lays out steps to strengthen the skills-development framework for industrial workers and support their broader career growth, APP reported.

It also sets talent-cultivation benchmarks: roughly 1,000 master artisans at the national level, 5,000 at the provincial level and 25,000 at the city level are to be developed by 2030, while innovation studios for model workers and master artisans are projected to expand to 160,000 nationwide over the same period.

The plan arrives as Beijing intensifies efforts to modernize its industrial base, with the 15th Five-Year Plan placing the buildout of a modern industrial system among its top priorities.

Authorities have adopted a dual approach that pairs investment in physical assets with investment in human capital, aiming to drive innovation-led, demand-driven growth with vocational training positioned as a central pillar of that workforce strategy.

Thursday's plan calls for upgrading the lifelong vocational-training system to help workers keep pace with shifting skill demands.

It commits to rolling out "AI Plus" learning initiatives and building a national skills-learning platform for industrial workers.

Training support will also be widened for migrant workers, those in emerging forms of employment, and younger workers, alongside plans for a network of craftsman colleges blending online and offline instruction.

Wang Xiaoping, minister of human resources and social security, had earlier signaled that China would expand large-scale vocational training this year, with targeted programs directed at sectors including the low-altitude economy, new energy vehicles, AI and elderly-care services  part of a broader push to align skills training with industrial and employment demand.

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