12月14日早间英文播报：Xi marks opening of vocational contest

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Acontestant participates in the helicopter maintenance category of the firstVocational Skills Competition in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on Thursday.More than 2,500 contestants are taking part in the three-day event. ZOUHONG/CHINA DAILY

Workers urged to support growth ofmanufacturing, innovation sectors

PresidentXi Jinping sent a letter of congratulations on Thursday to the country's firstvocational skills competition, as China is striving to expand the skilledworkforce to support the development of manufacturing and innovationindustries.

Xi, whois also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee andchairman of the Central Military Commission, said that the competition providesa platform for workers to display their skills and learn from each other.

TheVocational Skills Competition, which kicked off on Thursday in Guangzhou,Guangdong province, is recognized as the nation's first since the founding ofthe People's Republic of China. The three-day event has 2,557 competitors in 36delegations, according to its organizers.

In thecongratulatory letter, Xi said that the competition plays a positive role inexpanding the skilled workforce and promoting socioeconomic development.

He saidthat skilled workers are the major power supporting the development of thenation's manufacturing and innovation industries, and called on all levels ofgovernment to attach more importance to training skilled workers, especiallythe younger generation.

In aninstruction delivered to the competition, Premier Li Keqiang said thatimproving working skills is a crucial foundation to enhance the capabilities ofChina's manufacturing and services industries. He called for efforts to furtherenhance the training system for skilled workers, create a better environmentfor skilled talents and guide young workers to perfect their skills, in a bidto boost employment, entrepreneurship and innovation in the country and ensurehigh-quality economic growth.

Approvedby the State Council, China's Cabinet, the Ministry of Human Resources andSocial Security began holding national vocational skills competitions from thisyear.

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

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

With theyoungest competitor aged 16, the contest has attracted people from differentage groups. The most senior competitor is 58.

JiangGuowei, deputy director of the training center of Jiangsu Electric PowerConstruction Co, is the coach of 26-year-old competitor Zhang Chuangye in thewelding event.

He saidthat Zhang has worked in the company for about six years and his adept workingskills have highly impressed his colleagues.

"Basicskill is our first consideration, but it's not the only quality," hesaid."What we want is a worker to possess good skills, potential and afine personality, because all the skills will finally serve the development ofa company and the industry."

Xinhuacontributed to this story.

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