Introduction to the Shanghai Municipal Scarce Talent Development Office
In accordance with regulations of the State Council, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, and relevant national ministries and commissions, implementing vocational qualification examinations and a certificate-based employment system in China is fully necessary, consistent with social development, and aligned with international requirements. However, in recent years, various certificates issued in China's training and continuing education markets have been highly diverse, making it difficult even for non-specialists in the industry to distinguish them. Before introducing the Shanghai Municipal Scarce Talent Development Office, it is necessary to first clarify what types of institutions are authorized to organize vocational qualification examinations and issue valid occupational (professional) qualification certificates in accordance with national policies. A summary is provided below.
Certificate issuance systems with industry functions currently have only three categories of legally authorized institutions nationwide:
1. Government industry authorities: issue qualification certificates with industry-management characteristics. Examples: Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (hundreds of certificates in economy, management, commerce, human resources, etc.); education system: teacher qualification certificates; National Health Commission: physician/nurse qualification certificates; finance system: accounting qualification certificates; Ministry of Justice: lawyer qualification certificates.
2. Industry associations: Internationally, qualification certificates are often issued by industry associations. In China, however, government is strong, and many industry associations have been reluctant to assume responsibility or organize vocational qualification examinations and certificate issuance. With deeper reform and opening-up, a small number of associations have begun to organize examinations and issue certificates. Examples: Asset Management Association of China issues the Fund Practitioner Qualification Certificate.
3. Professional qualification certificate examination and issuance institutions established with approval of local governments in China: Examples: Leading Group Office of the Shanghai Shortage Talent Training Project of the 1990s / Shanghai Office for Development of Shortage Talents in the 21st Century.
Today, this page focuses on the Shanghai Office for Development of Shortage Talents in the 21st Century (abbreviated as the Shortage Office).
I. Historical Development of the Shanghai Shortage Talent Office
The Shanghai Shortage Talent Office was established in the early 1990s by four departments, commissions, and offices: the Shanghai Personnel Bureau, the Education and Health Office of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government, the Shanghai Adult Education Committee, and the Organization Department of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee,
jointly established. It was led by the Shanghai Municipal People's Government, with then Vice Mayor of Shanghai Xie Lijuan directly in charge. It also directly organized ten shortage talent training centers affiliated with 10 respective commissions, offices, and bureaus of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government, including the Shanghai Cadre
Training Center, Shanghai Cadre Education Center, Shanghai Foreign Economic and Trade Training Center, Shanghai Tourism Commission Training Center, Shanghai Agricultural Commission Training Center, Shanghai Political and Legal Talent Training Center, among the ten shortage talent training centers. These centers specifically organized shortage talent training in Shanghai and the certificate examinations of the Shortage Office.
II. Government Function Transformation and Authorized Examination and Certificate Issuance by an Independent Third Party
With the development of China's market economy, government institutional reform, and further transformation of government functions, after several super-ministry reforms and more than two years of research and review, the State officially assigned to Shanghai in October 2011
the Shortage Talent Office's pre-examination tutoring and examination and certificate issuance functions for the Registered Shortage Talent Professional Grade Certificate (Junior, Intermediate, and Senior) to the Shanghai Talent Training Market, a national pilot institution in the talent training industry and a professional platform qualified for talent training and examination certification, to fully operate them as an independent third-party institution. See the official website of China Shanghai Talent Training: www.china-tt.org; Hu Renpei (2020) New Issuance Document No. 001. The Office must undergo annual inspection and evaluation by the competent business supervisory and administrative authorities of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government.
III. Nature of the Institution
In October 2011, all business functions of the Shanghai Shortage Talent Office were transferred to the Shanghai Talent Training Market, and its business management was directly under the Shanghai Talent Training Market. The Office is defined as an independent third-party public-interest professional service platform rooted in Shanghai, oriented toward the Yangtze River Delta, serving the whole country, providing internationalized and market-oriented talent training, examination certification, authoritative certificate issuance, and year-round registration and certificate verification.
IV. Industry Positioning and Development Goals
The Office for Scarce Talent Development will strengthen cooperation with renowned universities at home and abroad and prominent international training and examination certification institutions to promote the development of emerging blockchain, big data, information technology, cultural and creative, automobile, environmental protection, health, software, biopharmaceutical, high-tech, mid-to-high-level service, and elderly care industries. In response to market demand under new circumstances, it will focus on adjusting the total number, structure, and quality of scarce talent development, prioritize employer needs, and establish training and assessment mechanisms for composite and skilled talents required by emerging and creative industries. It will build platforms for talent development, mutual exchange, and collaboration, giving new meaning to Shanghai's scarce talent training program for new economic transformation in the 21st century.
V. Basic Operation of Shanghai Scarce Talent Qualification Certificates over More Than 30 Years
(I) Professional Occupational Grade Qualification Certificates for Scarce Talents
Since its establishment in the early 1990s, the Shanghai Scarce Talent Office has operated for more than 30 years. Scarce talent training programs organized by leaders of four Shanghai departments, commissions, offices, and bureaus and their ten Scarce Talent Training Centers mainly cover enterprise management, enterprise administrative management, human resources management, public relations, international trade, commercial accounting, psychological counseling, agricultural machinery, rural economic management, township enterprise management, public English speaking, public computer competence, accounting qualification, financial management, tourism management, and other fields. The number of specialties has expanded from the initial 26 to more than 1000. Incomplete statistics show that cumulative registrations for various qualification certificate examinations have reached nearly 16 million person-times, of which more than 12 million obtained certificates through examinations. Among examinees, besides employed or unemployed residents and enrolled college and secondary vocational students in Shanghai, participants from the Yangtze River Delta region and other parts of the country also account for a relatively large proportion. The Shanghai Scarce Talent Training Program has cultivated a large number of scarce talents across industries for the economic development of Shanghai and China, effectively promoting talent development, social development, and economic development.
(II) Basic Information on Scarce Talent Training in the New Era
In the new era, amid national industrial transformation, the Shanghai Office for Scarce Talent Development has received care and guidance from competent government authorities, support from many employers, and strong backing from all sectors of society. We have continued to use the original
Municipal Government Scarce Talent Office's more than 100 specialties welcomed by employers and the training market, including Human Resources Development and Management Specialist, Enterprise Management Specialist, Enterprise Administrative Management Specialist, Public Relations, Corporate Trainer, Psychological Counselor, Macroeconomic Specialist, Microeconomic Specialist, Economics and Financial Planning Specialist, Pre-examination Tutoring Specialist, Financial Planner, and others. Building on existing qualification certificates of the Shanghai Office for Scarce Talent Development, new certificate examinations have been developed for lottery analysis and
management specialist series comprising 25 certificate examinations, psychology series comprising 30 certificate examinations, early childhood education consultant series comprising 10 certificate examinations, children's education consultation and intellectual development series comprising 18 certificate examinations, and environmental protection series comprising 16 certificate examinations
Aromatherapy education series comprising 6 certificate examinations, and more than 380 professional qualification certificate examination programs, including Integrity Management Specialist, Credit Analyst, Technical Achievement Analyst, Emotional Healing Specialist, Art Application Guide, Painting Psychological Analyst, Technical Achievement Analyst, Neuro-Linguistic Practitioner, Psychological Counselor, Blockchain Engineer, Blockchain Application Management Specialist, Blockchain Economist, Children's Programming Trainer, Early Childhood Educator, Entrepreneurship Coach, Handwriting Analyst, Painting Psychological Analyst, Technical Achievement Analyst, Employment Mentor, DPA Professional Quotient Management Specialist, Neuro-Linguistic Practitioner, International Financial Analyst, and others. Example: Registered Scarce Talent Lottery Education Instructor Certificate Training:
1. Educational content: Through lottery e-textbook software independently developed by Huacai Yingjia and awarded 13 copyrights by the National Copyright Administration, provide training in national lottery professional knowledge (football betting, Pick Five, Super Lotto, Pick Three, etc.).
2. Teaching mode: Each cohort includes 42 hours of face-to-face instruction, no fewer than 80 hours of self-study, and three study sessions. To date, the Lottery Education Instructor Certificate Training Program has held 70 basic classes and 20 certification classes.
3. Educational outcomes: Master core lottery purchasing techniques and cultivate elites in the lottery industry; become partners in innovative lottery outlets and the Huacai Club to operate the industry chain. Employment and entrepreneurship referrals are provided, and graduates are in high demand.
III. International cooperation to develop high-end talent certificate programs
1. Joint launch of the Blockchain and Digital Economy DBA Advanced Certificate Doctoral Program
Participants come from more than 20 provinces and cities, including Shanghai, Beijing, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guangdong, Inner Mongolia, Harbin, Chengdu, Shenzhen, and Anhui, as well as Queensland, Australia. Blockchain and digital economy entrepreneurs gather in Shanghai.
Part-time study of a 3-year DBA program. Faculty are mainly drawn from Project 985 universities such as Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Fudan University, Nanjing University, and Tsinghua University, as well as Hong Kong business schools, senior industry experts, and discipline leaders. The Lin-gang Special Area (Shanghai), Shanghai Zhangjiang, Caohejing High-Tech Park, and the Greater Bay Area warmly welcome high-end talent entrepreneurship.
2. Development of the Blockchain Application Manager Program
To better meet economic development needs and societal demand for scarce talent, Professor Li Bo, a postdoctoral researcher, led a top national blockchain technology industry team during the 2018-2021 period to develop the popular professional training and examination for the Registered Scarce Talent Blockchain Engineer Vocational Qualification Certificate. Dr. Zhang Wei's blockchain expert team believes that the development of Chinese enterprises is closely tied to the times. If your enterprise has missed opportunities in real estate, the Internet, or social commerce, respond to the central government's call and seize the blockchain opportunity. Blockchain empowerment will accelerate enterprise growth, and the Blockchain Application Manager Qualification Certificate Program will support your development.
3. Active development of digital economy talent training programs
Actively cooperate with international universities to cultivate advanced talent in the popular field of Blockchain and Digital Economy; proactively engage in public-interest talent training, including internet skills training for older adults; hold free talent salons year-round once a week, each focusing on a single theme. These activities are well received by communities, the training industry, and employers.
4. Strictly follow relevant government regulations and carefully arrange various training activities
Internet live streaming and remote conference courses have become routine. Currently launched online activities include the 518 Salon and the Blockchain Wealth Code Advanced Seminar. Since early 2018, the 518 Blockchain
Science and Technology Innovation Talent Salon public-interest activities have continued every Friday with half-day sessions. Special training sessions have been held with local partners and peers in Shanghai, Nanjing, Guangzhou, Japan, Hong Kong, the United States, and other locations. 5. Further explore blockchain converged media operations and Internet online courses to promote a series of online courses. Fully leverage the social influence generated by Robert Li's Blockchain Diary, which has exceeded 1000 issues, develop the blockchain enthusiast ecosystem, and advance teaching and research.
5. After the outbreak, international cooperation training programs moved online
Online training has received support from blockchain and digital economy peers worldwide. Currently, more than 100 peers attend the Friday afternoon salon each week. By the end of April 2021, 143 online salon sessions had been completed. The total number of salon activities exceeded 250. Cumulative attendance exceeded 20,000 person-times. Since early 2020, more than 50 online salon sessions have been held, with attendance exceeding 6,000 person-times.
6. Encourage employees to conduct diverse self-media training activities
Fully leverage knowledge and experience to carry out self-media education. Dr. Li Bo's Robert Li Digital Economy Diary has published more than 1040 Chinese-language blockchain videos, becoming a leader in the industry and generating positive social impact on the development of the training market.
7. Joint Development of the International Elderly Care Practitioner Program
Cooperate with the Australian Nursing Association and Tianjin Medical University on the Registered International Elderly Care Practitioner Certificate; separately cooperate with the University of Wollongong and National Box Hill Institute TAFU in Australia on vocational associate/bachelor-degree programs; cooperate with the internationally renowned Philippine Domestic Services Association to develop the Registered International Domestic Services Manager Certificate; cooperate with Hong Kong Business School and the University of California to develop the Registered Hotel Management Professional Grade Occupational
Qualification Certificate; assist unemployed job seekers, fresh undergraduate and postgraduate graduates in obtaining employment by organizing employment-related certificate examinations. Examples include market-demand examination programs for occupations such as assistant to the president, secretary to the president, assistant to the chairman, secretary to the chairman, public relations planner, and marketing planner.
VI. Support training institutions in establishing examination venues and conducting certificate training and examinations
To support industry and enterprise development, actively assist qualified talent training and education institutions in conducting professional certificate training and support eligible training institutions in establishing examination venues.
(I) Provide supporting services for certificate training and examination institutions
Proactively provide supporting services for institutions such as the Community Talent Training Department, the Vocational Qualification Training Department, Huacai, Shamo, Fragrance, the Market Training Department, and the Office for Scarce Talent Development; assist these institutions in promoting the Lottery, Fragrance, Blockchain, and other scarce talent qualification certificate programs they have developed; support website promotion and enrollment consultation.
(II) Proactively organize certificate development institutions to combine online education with in-person instruction
In early 2020, due to the sudden outbreak of the novel coronavirus, the modern service industry suffered severe losses, and the offline training and education sector was particularly affected. In response to the new era and circumstances, proactively organize and support certificate development institutions under the Office for Scarce Talent Development in online education
and transition to combining online education with in-person experiential instruction.
For certificate examination services in the Shanghai talent training market, adapt to the special pandemic background and requirements; actively encourage eligible departments to offer online training and education courses; organize online pre-examination coaching and case-based teaching; and actively conduct pre-examination coaching for various talent certificates and international cooperative education courses.
(III) Strengthen cooperation on certificate examination projects of the Office for Scarce Talent Development
In 2021, the Shanghai Office for Scarce Talent Development continued to strengthen cooperation on certificate projects, organized pre-examination training for certificate projects, and established examination venues. According to Shanghai Talent Training Market (2020) Document No. 001
requirements, the principle is 'open training and unified examinations'; cooperate with eligible institutions to establish examination venues. Actively develop pre-examination coaching for scarce talent professional qualification certificates that meet market demand, and select qualified institutions to authorize the establishment of examination venues for various qualification certificates. In recent years, institutions authorized to establish examination venues have mainly focused on developing new projects and on approval and quality management for certificate examination venues.
VII. Teaching Modes and Reference Materials
Pre-examination coaching may be delivered through in-person instruction. Teaching sites shall follow the model of 'voluntary registration, centralized examination, and unified certification'. Eligible teaching sites may adopt online teaching or partial in-person instruction.
Mature training institutions should prioritize professional textbooks or use professional lecture notes prepared by professional teachers and coaches to organize teaching. When conditions are ripe, they may apply to publish newly compiled relevant professional textbooks.
VIII. Essential Conditions for Applying to Establish Examination Venues for Certificates of the Office for Scarce Talent Development
Scarce talent certificate qualification projects approved by the Shanghai Talent Training Market and the Shanghai Municipal Office for Development of Scarce Talent fall into two categories: first, institutions with education and training qualifications may apply to become examination registration sites for scarce talent certificates; second, institutions without education and training qualifications that need to apply for pre-examination training registration sites or examination registration sites (test centers) must first accept the Charter of the Shanghai Talent Training Market, submit written application materials to the Supervision Office of the Shanghai Talent Training Market in accordance with application requirements, apply to co-build institutions with the Shanghai Talent Training Market, apply for approval to establish an internal institution of the Shanghai Talent Training Market, or apply for examination registration sites. Only after formal approval by the Shanghai Talent Training Market and obtaining the Talent Training License may the institution obtain qualification to apply.
IX. Institutions applying for scarce talent certificate projects shall conduct self-assessment according to the following six conditions
(I) Strictly enforce entry conditions for new institutions
Since its approval by the competent government authority in March 2004 and official opening in July 2007, the Shanghai Talent Training Market remains the only third-party innovation platform for the training industry in the national talent training field. It has established a good reputation in Shanghai and in the national talent training and international education sectors, and has cooperated in cultivating a large number of high-end talents. To protect the brand and ensure innovative development of the training industry, the new six entry standards implemented from 2016 shall be strictly enforced:
Article 1: Introduce cooperative institutions that are committed to education and training, proactive in cooperation, and have certain visibility and credibility in talent training, corporate training, academic education, and international education.
Article 2: The institution shall have a certain performance foundation in the industry, its own talent training programs, clients with market demand, its own student recruitment market, and its own talent training or international education resources.
Article 3: The institution shall have professional teaching management and market development teams in talent training or international education, including a team capable of initial student recruitment.
Article 4: Emphasize teaching quality, maintain professional faculty, uphold integrity, and have no dishonest records in the industry and no violations of
regulations or disciplinary rules, and enjoy a good reputation in talent training and international cooperation.
Article 5: To apply for an internal institution of the Shanghai Talent Training Market, applicants shall complete the Shanghai Talent Training Market Application Form truthfully in accordance with the requirements of the Shanghai Talent Training Market Institution Application Catalogue, provide relevant valid certificates, first pass the assessment by the Supervision Office of the Shanghai Talent Training Market, and pay the integrity deposit and annual business authorization management fee in accordance with relevant provisions of the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission and the Charter of the Shanghai Talent Training Market.
Article 6: Actively fulfill the annual assessment standards specified in the standardized Contract for Cooperative Construction of Education and Training Institutions signed by both parties, and cooperate with the Supervision Office of the Shanghai Talent Training Market in completing the annual review and assessment.
(II) Maintain the joint construction nature
With approval by the Shanghai Talent Training Market and review and consent by the competent government authority, professional education and training institutions established through cooperation between the two parties shall be of a joint construction nature and shall be internal institutions directly managed by the Shanghai Talent Training Market. For details, see Article 4 of the 2018 Key Points of Work of the Shanghai Talent Training Market on the China Shanghai Talent Training official website (www.china-tt.org): Entry Standards for New Institutions Applying to Join the Shanghai Talent Training Market.
(III) Basic procedures for new certificate project applications
Training institutions wishing to directly apply for initiation of new projects under the Registered Scarce Talent Professional Grade Qualification Certificate of the Shanghai Municipal Office for Development of Scarce Talent may first make inquiries and directly contact the professional staff of the Municipal Office for Development of Scarce Talent by providing materials such as the Introduction of the Applying Institution, the New Project Application Report, and contact information of the applying institution.
10. Actively support industry associations in developing professional talent across sectors
Based on market demand, nearly 300 vocational qualification certificate pre-examination coaching and examination programs have been newly developed in recent years. Recent work has mainly focused on continuing the operation of existing certificate programs, such as:
Support the Shanghai Enterprise Liquidation (Industry) Association in jointly cultivating scarce talent as Liquidators, with an annual training plan of no fewer than 300 persons, consolidating the liquidator workforce so that professional
personnel engaged in liquidation work in Shanghai's liquidation industry possess the industry's professional theoretical knowledge and practical skills, are competent to carry out bankruptcy liquidation and related liquidation services, have effectively achieved the scarce-talent development objectives for Shanghai's liquidation industry, received favorable reviews from professional personnel in the liquidation field, and been warmly welcomed by the Shanghai judicial system and the Shanghai High People's Court.
For another example: support the development of more than 30 professional directions under the finance and economics professional qualification certificate series; promote examinations for registered scarce-talent qualification certificates such as Financial Planner, Project Development Economist, and Financial Risk Manager; and carry out routine examination administration, website registration and inquiry management, business promotion and consultation, and related work. The plan for recent years is to cultivate more than 30000 persons.
Institutions with integrity, quality, capability, and resources are welcome to apply for new project approval and to establish platform examination venues in accordance with the procedures prescribed by the Municipal Scarce Talent Development Office. Thereafter, professional staff of the Scarce Talent Development Office will guide applicant institutions to follow the vocational qualification certificate training and examination procedures of the Shanghai Municipal Office for Scarce Talent Development (omitted).
The right to interpret this Brief Overview belongs to the Shanghai Municipal Office for Scarce Talent Development.
11. Contact Information for the Scarce Talent Development Office
Telephone: 0086-21-61677406;
Shanghai Study Abroad Service mailbox login URL: mail.china-tt.org;
WeChat contacts: Teacher Ye: 13162376121 Teacher Sun: 18017511158;