Baotou city – located in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region – has continued to improve its employment packages and incentive measures for skilled new hires, and in recent years is said to have recruited 157,800 high-skilled people from all walks of life.

The city has proposed to give a one-time grant of 3,000 yuan ($472) to 5,000 yuan to those who have obtained professional qualification certificates for technicians and senior technicians.

Moreover, it has implemented a three-year plan for the introduction of international certification, as well as promoted new types of skills training, including school-enterprise programs and integrating industrial production and education.

The highest grant being offered is 200,000 yuan – given to winners of the national first-class vocational skills competition, with all the financial incentives said to have greatly improved the enthusiasm of the majority of workers to go down the path to becoming skilled.

Encouraged by the attractive policies, well-known and outstanding skilled talent such as Lu Renfeng, Zheng Guiyou and Rong Pengqiang have emerged in the city.

To date, the city has had seven winners of the Chinese Skills Award, with 70 national technical experts.

Additionally, Baotou has established 13 national-level skill master studios, as well as eight national-level high-skilled talent bases including the Inner Mongolia Metallurgical Technician College.

The studios are said to have made significant achievements, with leading teachers training top apprentices, passing on skills and overcoming technical difficulties.