China Focus: National lawmaker advocates more training for rural migrant workers as industry upgrades

Zhou Pei prepares for training courses in Cangzhou, north China's Hebei Province, Feb. 15, 2025. (Photo by Yin Shi/Xinhua)

BEIJING, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- Zhou Pei, a national lawmaker and the deputy manager of a construction company's recruitment arm, will bring his suggestions on helping rural migrant workers to an upcoming national political gathering in China.

In early March, he will attend the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, in Beijing. At this meeting, deputies from all walks of life will discuss crucial national issues together.

In his suggestions for this year, Zhou plans to focus on advancing craftsmanship and turning rural migrant workers into high-caliber industrial workers.

His emphasis on rural migrant workers stems from his three decades of working experience at Dayuan Construction Group in north China's Hebei Province. He was once a carpenter and won multiple national awards for his performance. Since 2023, he has been in charge of recruiting construction workers for the group.

"Migrant workers in labor-intensive industries seldom participate in vocational skills training and have limited exposure to new technologies and emerging business models, which makes it difficult for them to meet the increasing demands of modern industry," said the lawmaker.

Over the past four decades, China has witnessed a significant influx of rural migrant workers into labor-intensive, non-agricultural sectors, such as manufacturing and construction, and these workers have made significant contributions to the country's booming economy.

However, as the country experiences technology-driven industrial upgrading, workers are expected to master new skills to adapt to the needs of industries, including advanced manufacturing, which contributes to national security and the country's high-quality development.

To understand more about the difficulties faced by migrant workers, Zhou often talks with them and writes down their concerns in his notebook.

Based on these firsthand materials, Zhou suggested that the group sign long-term contracts rather than temporary ones with its employees and encourage them to participate in comprehensive training programs.

He also helped offer building information modeling and other practical courses for the vocational training institution affiliated with his company, which has cultivated about 10,000 professionals annually for the construction industry.

"With constant training, many rural migrant workers have gradually become professionals needed by the modern construction industry, generating more benefits for the enterprise," said Zhou.

Zhou is not alone in his quest for a better future for China's migrant workers. In 2023, 497 frontline workers and farmers were elected as deputies to the 14th NPC, accounting for 16.69 percent of the total number of deputies. Of these, 56 were migrant workers, compared to only three in 2008.

Such a rise mirrors the continuously growing group of rural migrant workers in China. In 2023, the figure reached nearly 300 million, representing over one-fifth of the Chinese population.

In addition to traditional manual jobs, emerging positions like online delivery and livestreaming sales show stronger appeal for the new generation of rural migrant workers, said Wang Bengao, director of the rural migrant worker service center of Renshou County in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

"With the development of the economic and social environment, the new generation places more value on factors such as working environment, life quality and development prospects," Wang added.

Grounded in changing realities, migrant worker representatives from increasingly diverse areas have actively voiced their opinions and offered various suggestions while striving to address the pressing concerns of their fellow workers.

Their work pays off as more policies and measures have been enacted and implemented to protect the rights and interests of migrant workers.

A recent example is a guideline released by Chinese central authorities in November, which calls for greater efforts to enhance vocational skills training and provide better public services for rural migrant workers.

These efforts come as an inspiration for the country's migrant workers to make further progress. "We will pursue excellent and meticulous work and enable workers to transition into competent industrial workers in the new era," said Zhou. ■

Zhou Pei (R) instructs workers at a construction site in Cangzhou, north China's Hebei Province, Feb. 15, 2025. (Photo by Yin Shi/Xinhua)

Zhou Pei (2nd R) discusses with other staff members in Cangzhou, north China's Hebei Province, Feb. 15, 2025. (Photo by Yin Shi/Xinhua)