On October 15th, the 2024 Yunnan Province Vocational Skills Competition kicked off in Kunming, attracting over 1,300 competitors across 80 categories. The event encompasses a range of practical skill demonstrations and creative showcases, highlighting both professional expertise and innovative abilities.
This competition is co-organized by the Yunnan Provincial Department of Human Resources and Social Security, the Provincial Department of Education, and the Provincial Federation of Trade Unions, under the theme “Gathering Talent to Empower Industries, Strengthening Skills for a Brighter Future in Yunnan.” A total of 21 delegations, 1,389 contestants, and 686 expert judges are participating.
During the opening ceremony, Liu Lishi, the head of the Yunnan Provincial Department of Human Resources and Social Security, emphasized that this competition is the most prestigious, largest, and most influential vocational skills event in recent years. He urged participants to embody the spirit of craftsmanship—striving for excellence—to inspire more workers and young people to become skilled professionals and leaders in their fields, ultimately paving the way for skill-based success and national contribution.
The competition aligns with Yunnan’s 12 key industrial chains, featuring 80 thoughtfully designed categories including coffee bean processing, robot system integration, energy-saving technologies for hydrogen fuel systems in new energy vehicles, renewable energy, tobacco grading, traditional Chinese medicine skills, virtual reality engineering, tea artistry, and more. These categories not only reflect the economic and industrial development trends in Yunnan but also cater to social needs.
At the venue, the atmosphere is electric as various vocational skills competitions unfold. The enticing aroma of roasted coffee draws many spectators to the coffee bean processing competition. Wu Yirong, director of the Professional Skills Certification Center of the Yunnan Coffee Industry Association, reported that this marks the first time the coffee bean processing category has been included in the competition, comprising coffee roasting, sensory evaluation, and brewing services—referred to as the “Ironman Triathlon” of the coffee world.
As one of China’s major coffee-producing regions, Yunnan aims to enhance the added value of its coffee industry by promoting deeper processing techniques. “This competition covers everything from ‘bean to cup,’ aiming to identify outstanding talent in deep coffee processing and drive high-quality development in the industry,” Wu explained.
Li Xiaoying, a contestant with seven years of experience in coffee bean processing, noted that previous coffee competitions focused mainly on specialized skills, while this skills competition evaluates overall capabilities. “The event provides a centralized platform for industry talent to showcase their skills, allowing us to learn from one another and refine our expertise.”
During the opening ceremony, partnerships were formed as five vocational schools, five technical colleges, and five local human resources departments signed cooperation agreements with relevant enterprises to foster industry-education integration and corporate collaboration. Additionally, a signing ceremony for the Yunnan Entrepreneurship Loan initiative took place, with ten companies receiving a total of 23.16 million yuan in bank credit. A youth entrepreneurship workshop was also held, where two entrepreneurial experts shared insights on youth entrepreneurship and the new media industry with over 200 young participants.
The competition will run until October 17th, culminating in the recognition of the “Top 100 Artisans of Yunnan” based on the results. This event aims to inject vitality and momentum into the economic and social development of Yunnan Province through skilled talent.
