Authorities in East China's Zhejiang province have in recent months rolled out a raft of policies and initiatives aimed at raising the status of its skilled workers.

In February, Zhejiang authorities announced that graduates of technician training schools would earn similar entry-level wages as bachelor's degree holders and be treated the same in terms of application for job posts in government organizations and enterprises, and registration for qualification certificate exams.

Qiu Weiqi, a student at the Zhejiang Highway Technician College, was excited about the new development. "Previously, diploma holders from a technician college often faced discrimination. With this new policy, I am filled with confidence about the future," Qiu said.

Ye Hongzhen, the director of student recruitment at the Zhejiang Construction Technician College, said that the college's student enrollment this year was 50 percent more than in 2016. He noted that the admission scores for some popular majors related to digital technologies are even higher than the threshold for university admission.

"Although most parents are still caught up with the idea of their children entering a university, more and more of them are becoming open to the alternative that their children could also attend technician colleges and become skilled workers," Ye added.

A student from Zhejiang Construction Technician College competes at the first Vocational Skills Competition of China in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, in December 2020. [Photo/zj.zjol.com.cn]