This English translation is for reference only. The Chinese version shall prevail in case of any inconsistencies.
Notice on Issuing the Measures for the Administration of Vocational Skills Competitions in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin
All bureaus under the Executive Committee:
The Measures for the Administration of Vocational Skills Competitions in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin have approved upon deliberation at the session of the Executive Committee of the Cooperation Zone and are hereby issued for your careful implementation. Should any issues arise during implementation, please promptly report them to the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone.
Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin
December 17, 2024
Normative Document No. 3/2024 of the Livelihood Affairs Bureau
Measures for the Administration of Vocational Skills Competitions in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin
Article 1.
Purpose of the Measures
To thoroughly implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important directives on the work of skilled talents and the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council regarding skills competitions, leverage the leading and demonstrative role of vocational skills competitions in cultivating skilled talents, promote the rational, standardized, and systematic development of the vocational skills competitions system in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin (hereinafter referred to as the “Cooperation Zone”), and improve the mechanism for selecting high-skilled talents, these Measures are formulated in accordance with the Notice of the Department of Human Resources and Social Security of Guangdong Province on Issuing the Measures for the Administration of Vocational Skills Competitions in Guangdong Province (No. 12 [2022]) and other relevant provisions, as well as taking into account the specific circumstances of the Cooperation Zone.
Article 2.
Definition
For the purposes of these Measures and other relevant guidelines, the following definitions shall apply:
1. “Vocational Skills Competition” (hereinafter referred to as “Competition”) refers to an organized vocational skills contest conducted in accordance with the Occupational Classification Code of the People’s Republic of China and the National Vocational Qualification Catalogue (2022 Edition). The contestshall reflect the demand for highly skilled talent in the Cooperation Zone driven by economic and social development, consider the actual conditions of the industrial and service sectors, and primarily assesses participants’ operational skills. The competition organized hereunder shall primarily focus on occupations and types of work for which national vocational skills standards have been promulgated, while also accommodating new occupations and job types that align with the industrial development of the Cooperation Zone.
2. “Category I Competition” refers to a comprehensive competition within the Cooperation Zone, either organized and hosted by the Executive Committee of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone (hereinafter referred to as the “Executive Committee”) or organized with its approval, and is led by the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone. “Category I Competition” also includes vocational skills competitions that is jointly organized with government departments of the Macao Special Administrative Region (hereinafter referred to as “Macao”), other relevant authorities, or institutions, and is officially titled the “Vocational Skills Competition of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin”.
3. “Category II Competition” refers to a vocational skills competition that is led and hosted by the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone and jointly organized with other government departments or relevant institutions from the Cooperation Zone, Macao, or Zhuhai City, and is officially titled the “In-Depth Cooperation Zone Cup Vocational Skills Competition”.
4. “Category III Competition” refers to an industry-specific vocational skills competition within the Cooperation Zone, organized by the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone or jointly organized with relevant departments.
5. “Category IV Competition” refers to a single-entity competition organized by enterprises, public institutions, educational institutions of various types, or social organizations under the guidance of the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone.
6. “Consumable-Intensive Competition” refers to a competition where, due to technical and process requirements, participants need to consume substantial amounts of high-quality, high-tech, or relatively high-cost material resources throughout the preparation and implementation stages. Examples of such competitions include 3D printing, construction engineering, Western pastry making, and beauty services.
7. “Skill-Centric Competition” refers to a competition that primarily relies on participants’ skills and techniques rather than the extensive consumption of high-quality, high-tech, or high-cost materials to complete the competition tasks. Examples of such competitions include computer programming, graphic design, customer service, and human resource management.
Article 3.
Scope of Application
These Measures apply to various vocational skills competitions organized, hosted, or guided by the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone.
Article 4.
Implementing Entity
The Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone is responsible for the implementation of these Measures, including formulating competition policies, providing guidance on competitions, as well as supervision and other services.
Article 5.
Basic Principles
These Measures aim to promote craftsmanship, set role models in vocational skills, and foster technological innovation. These Measures aims to foster a highly skilled workforce by promoting skill acquisition, advancing talent training, strengthening hands-on practice, and refining assessment standards through vocational skills competitions.
Vocational skills competitions at all levels and of all types falling within the scope of these Measures shall be benchmarked against the WorldSkills Competition, the Vocational Skills Competition of the People’s Republic of China, and the Vocational Skills Competition of Guangdong Province, and shall adhere to high levels and high standards.
The allocation of subsidy funds under these Measures shall follow the principles of “unified planning with tiered management, diversified funding sources with designated use, and cost-effectiveness with a focus on efficiency”. Vocational skills competitions at all levels and of all types shall not charge participants or participating entities any entry fees or engage in profit-making activities under the pretext of the competition.
Article 6.
Competition System
For the purposes of these Measures, vocational skills competitions are categorized into two primary levels within a tiered and structured management system: (1) Cooperation Zone-Level Competitions, and (2) Industry-Specific or Enterprise-Level Competitions within the Cooperation Zone. This framework is designed to align with the industrial development, skilled talent cultivation, and socioeconomic needs of the Cooperation Zone, while adhering to the principle of government leadership and encouraging social participation.
The specific categories and organizational methods of the competitions are as follows:
1. Cooperation Zone-Level Competitions: These competitions are further divided into Category I and Category II. Competition events within these categories shall be benchmarked against the Vocational Skills Competition of Guangdong Province, the National Vocational Skills Competition of the People’s Republic of China, or the WorldSkills Competition, and shall serve as a selection platform for higher-level vocational skills competitions.
2. Industry-Specific or Enterprise-Level Competitions within the Cooperation Zone: These competitions are further divided into Category III and Category IV.
3. Competitions for Category I, Category II, and Category III may be organized into Employee Groups and Student Groups, depending on actual circumstances.
Article 7.
Hosting Requirements for Competitions
Competitions at all levels and of all categories shall meet the following requirements regarding competency assessment, participating entities, and the number of competitors:
1. The assessment in vocational skills competitions shall primarily focus on evaluating participants’ practical skills. A theoretical examination may not be required, and if included, the theoretical knowledge component shall not account for more than 30% of the total score. The assessment criteria shall align with national vocational skill standards and develop technical documentation with reference to the standards of the WorldSkills Competition, the Vocational Skills Competition of the People’s Republic of China, and the Vocational Skills Competition of Guangdong. The assessment criteria for Category I and Category II vocational skills competitions shall meet or exceed the National Level 3 or Senior Worker standard. The assessment criteria for Category III and Category IV vocational skills competitions shall meet or exceed the National Level 4 or Intermediate Worker standard.
2. Category I and Category II competitions shall, in principle, have no fewer than 15 participating entities and 45 competitors.
3. Category III competitions shall, in principle, have no fewer than 10 participating entities and 30 competitors.
4. Category IV competitions shall, in principle, have no fewer than 20 competitors.
If the number of participating entities and competitors in a competition does not meet the required threshold, the hosting entity shall obtain approval from the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone before proceeding. In case of an overwhelming number of applicants, the competition may be conducted in two stages: a preliminary round and a final round.
Article 8.
Requirements for Hosting Entities
Entities hosting competitions shall be legally established enterprises, public institutions, or social organizations with legal person status and shall concurrently meet the following requirements:
1. The hosting entity shall be capable of providing the necessary hardware resources, including competition venues, facilities, equipment, and consumables, as required for the competition;
2. The hosting entity shall possess the technical expertise and organizational capacity to implement the competition effectively;
3. The hosting entity shall have strong capabilities in publicity and promotion, logistical support, and emergency response; possess significant industry influence and convening power; be capable of assembling a competition management team appropriate for the competition’s implementation; and assume full responsibility for all competition-related affairs;
4. The hosting entity shall not be included in the List of Enterprises with Abnormal Business Operation, List of Enterprises with Serious Unlawful and Dishonest Acts, or List of Dishonest Judgment Debtors.
Article 9.
Requirements for Competition Participants
Individuals registering to participate in competitions at all levels and of all categories shall meet the following requirements:
1. Participants in the Employee Group shall meet the following requirements:
(1) Participants in the Employee Group shall be at least 16 years old and have not reached the statutory retirement age;
(2) Participants in the Employee Group shall meet any of the following residency or employment criteria: (a) holding Zhuhai household registration (hukou), a Macao SAR resident identity card, or a non-resident worker’s identification card issued by the relevant Macao authority; (b) residing in Zhuhai with a valid residence permit; or (c) being employed by an enterprise in Zhuhai and having been enrolled in social insurance (at least one type of insurance) for no less than six months, or (d) being registered as unemployed, a military veteran, or part of other specified groups in the administrative region where the competition is hosted.
2. Participants in the Student Group shall be at least 16 years old and be enrolled as full-time students in an educational institution within the administrative region of the Macao or Zhuhai City.
Individuals who have already been awarded honors such as the “China Grand Skill Award”, “National Technical Expert”, or “Guangdong Provincial Technical Expert” are not eligible to compete as contestants. Individuals who have received the title of “Zhuhai Technical Expert” shall not compete in the same competition category in which the individuals were previously recognized.
Participants in provincial, national, or WorldSkills selection competitions shall comply with relevant regulations and requirements.
Article 10.
Requirements for Competition Judges
Judges for competitions at all levels and of all categories shall meet the following requirements:
1. Number of Judges: Category I and Category II competitions shall have no fewer than five judges, while Category III and Category IV competitions shall have no fewer than three judges.
2. Qualification Requirements: Competition judges shall generally be selected from among the following professionals: (a) technicians at the senior technician level or above, or professionals in the relevant field holding an associate senior title or higher; (b) teachers or experts in relevant disciplines holding the title of Lecturer or above; (c) professionals from provincial-level or higher industry associations in relevant fields, including those from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan; or (d) individuals with expert qualifications from the WorldSkills Competition or equivalent credentials.
3. Appointment of Chief Judges: The chief judge for each competition shall be selected by the competition organizer from among the judges, or appointed from relevant professionals if necessary. Any appointed professionals must meet the qualification requirements specified in Item 2 of Article 10 of these Measures. The chief judge shall be accountable to the competition organizer for all associated duties.
Article 11.
Awards and Recognition
Competitors with outstanding performance may receive the following honors:
1. Competitors in the Employee Group who rank among the top three in each competition category will be awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals, respectively. Competitors who are not among the top three but achieve a qualifying score and rank within the top 50% of total participants may be granted a Merit Award.
2. Competitors in the Employee Group who rank among the top three in Category I and Category II competitions, as well as those who win first place in Category III and Category IV competitions, will be awarded the title of “Technical Expert of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin”. Individuals who were recognized as “Zhuhai Technical Expert” prior to the enforcement of these Measures shall not be re-awarded this title.
3. Competitors who achieve a rating of “Qualified” or above in both the theoretical knowledge (for those including a theoretical assessment) and practical skills assessments, while also receiving a Merit Award or higher, will be issued a vocational technical grade certificate for the corresponding occupation (or trade) and level. The certificate will be issued by a department or institution authorized to conduct vocational technical grade recognition, in accordance with relevant regulations. A certificate for the same occupation (type of work) and level shall not be issued more than once.
4. Competitors in the Employee Group who rank from first to sixth place in Category I and Category II competitions may receive monetary prizes of RMB 30,000, RMB 20,000, RMB 10,000, RMB 5,000, RMB 3,000, and RMB 2,000, respectively, distributed by the hosting entity. For Category III and Category IV competitions, the prize amounts for winning participants shall be determined and distributed by the hosting entity.
5. Competitors in the Student Group who rank among the top three will be awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals, respectively. Competitors who do not receive such awards but achieve a qualifying score and rank within the top 50% of total participants in that group may be granted a Merit Award. The monetary prize amounts for award-winning participants shall be determined and distributed by the hosting entity.
Upon the conclusion of the competition, the organizing and hosting entities may, in accordance with the established competition guidelines, publicly commend or grant other material rewards to award-winning competitors and teams, as well as to outstanding technical mentors, support teams, staff members, and organizations that have made significant contributions.
Article 12.
Subsidies for Competition Hosting Expenses
Subsidies under these Measures will be applied for retrospectively. The hosting entity will be eligible to apply for the subsidy only upon the successful conclusion of the competition activities. The criteria for subsidy allocation are as follows:
1. For Category I competitions, a one-time support fund (including participant prizes) of RMB 500,000 may be provided for consumable-intensive projects and RMB 400,000 for skill-centric projects. If the competition event is held offline in Macao, an additional one-time subsidy of RMB 100,000 may be granted.
2. For Category II competition, a one-time support fund (including participant prizes) of RMB 400,000 may be provided for consumable-intensive competitions and RMB 300,000 for skill-centric competitions. If the competition event is held offline in the Macao Special Administrative Region, an additional one-time subsidy of RMB 100,000 may be granted.
3. For Category III competitions, a one-time subsidy of RMB 300,000 may be provided for consumable-intensive competitions and RMB 200,000 for skill-centric competitions.
4. For Category IV competitions, a one-time subsidy of RMB 200,000 may be provided for consumable-intensive competitions and RMB 100,000 for skill-centric competitions.
The subsidy funds may be used for: procurement and rental of necessary equipment, facilities, instruments, and consumables; competition venue modifications; hiring of experts, coaches, and judges (including the chief judge); work allowances for competition management personnel; living allowances for coaches and participants; training camps and preparatory exercises; competition organization and implementation; monetary prizes; and other expenses related to the competition.
Article 13.
Competition Organization and Implementation
The organization and implementation of the competitions under these Measures are as follows:
1. Open Selection of Competition Projects: The Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone will adopt a controlled allocation approach and, determine the number of vocational skills competitions to be held each year based on the budget of the Cooperation Zone and the actual needs of its industrial development. The bureau shall then initiate an open selection of competition projects from the public.
2. Review and Approval of Competition Projects: The Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone will convene a review meeting to select the most suitable competition projects, which will then be included in the annual funding plan for vocational skills competitions within the Cooperation Zone.
3. Open Selection of Hosting Entities: The Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone will, on an annual basis, announce the vocational skills competition projects for the year and concurrently conduct an open selection for hosting entities.
4. Review and Approval of Hosting Entities: The Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone will publicly evaluate and choose the most suitable entities applying to host competition projects in the form of a pitch session. The authenticity of application materials and the feasibility of the execution plan shall be reviewed, together with on-site inspections conducted as needed, to reach a final decision. When necessary, co-organizing entities may be invited, or a third-party professional institution may be entrusted to assist in the review and inspection.
5. Public Announcement of Hosting Entities: The Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone will publicly announce the proposed list of hosting entities on its official website for five working days.
6. Implementation of Competition Activities: If no objections are raised upon the expiration of the public announcement period, or if any objections are found to be unsubstantiated after investigation, the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone will confirm the hosting entities for each competition project in the annual execution plan of vocational skills competitions, after which the competition projects for the year shall proceed in full swing.
7. Announcement of Competition Results: Upon the conclusion of all competition projects for the year, the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone will issue an official announcement on its website to publicly disclose the award results of each competition.
8. Application for Subsidy Funds: Upon the conclusion of the competition projects, the hosting entity shall submit the required materials to apply for subsidy funds in accordance with these Measures and the relevant subsidy application guidelines for the year. If the application materials are incomplete, the hosting entity shall be notified in a one-time notice of the missing documents, which must be supplemented within the prescribed period.
9. Disbursement of Subsidy Funds: The Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone will review the application materials, and for those meeting the requirements, subsidy funds shall be disbursed in accordance with Article 12 of these Measures.
Article 14.
Other Competition Awards
Individuals holding household registration in, employed in, or enrolled as students in the Cooperation Zone, as well as their coaching teams, who intend to participate in provincial-level or higher competitions, may submit a record-filing application to the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone in advance. Upon successful record-filing, if the applicant competes and receives an award, the winning entity or individual may submit a reward application within twelve months of the award being granted. The standards for granting rewards are as follows:
1. For provincial-level competitions in Guangdong Province, individuals achieving first, second, and third place may be awarded RMB 30,000, RMB 20,000, and RMB 10,000, respectively; teams achieving these placements may be awarded RMB 60,000, RMB 50,000, and RMB 40,000, respectively.
2. For national-level competitions, individuals achieving first, second, and third place may be awarded RMB 50,000, RMB 40,000, and RMB 30,000, respectively; teams achieving these placements may be awarded RMB 100,000, RMB 80,000, and RMB 60,000, respectively.
3. For world-class competitions: individuals achieving first, second, and third place may be awarded RMB 100,000, RMB 80,000, and RMB 60,000, respectively; teams achieving these placements may be awarded RMB 200,000, RMB 180,000, and RMB 120,000, respectively.
Article 15.
Subsidies for Training Bases
Entities of various types in the Cooperation Zone that apply for recognition as, or establish within the Cooperation Zone, a China Training Base for the WorldSkills Competition, provided that the base’s training project aligns with the key industrial development priorities of the Cooperation Zone, will be eligible for a funding subsidy. Eligibility and the specific subsidy amount shall be determined subject to review and approval in accordance with the relevant provisions of theNotice of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security on Issuing the Interim Measures for the Administration of Participation in the WorldSkills Competition (No. 28 [2013] of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security).
Article 16.
Supervision and Administration
If an applicant obtains the qualification to host a competition through fraudulent means, or violates competition rules and relevant regulations during project implementation, resulting in adverse consequences, such qualification shall be revoked upon verification.
Where an applicant obtains funds through fraudulent means or other improper methods, they shall be obligated to return the full amount of the subsidy and pay interest at the prevailing Loan Prime Rate (LPR) for the relevant period. The Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone will, in accordance with applicable national regulations, submit the relevant information to competent authorities. Cases involving suspected criminal activity shall be referred to the appropriate legal authorities in accordance with the law.
Subsidies and rewards disbursed under these Measures are subject to audits and supervision by relevant authorities and public oversight.
Article 17.
Taxes and Fees
All rewards mentioned in these Measures are pre-tax. Any taxes and fees arising from the receipt of such rewards shall be borne by the recipient in accordance with applicable national laws, regulations, and relevant provisions.
Article 18.
Supplementary Provisions
The Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone reserves the right to interpret these Measures.
Article 19.
Effective Date and Validity Period
These Measures shall come into effect on January 1, 2025, and remain valid for a period of three years.
If approved funds remain unpaid upon the expiration of these Measures, disbursement will continue until fully executed.