Published by ChinaMNC · Huangdao

Qingdao Skills-to-Industry Plan: What Foreign Founders Need to Know (2026–2027)

Qingdao has issued a vocational skills action plan tied to its “10+1” industrial system. Foreign founders can use it to understand where local talent, training subsidies and school partnerships may be available through 2027.

Qingdao Links Skills Training to Its “10+1” Industrial System

Qingdao has published a government action plan on vocational ability development, aimed at aligning skills training with its “10+1” innovative industrial system. For foreign founders operating or registering a company in Qingdao, the plan is a useful signal of where local authorities expect skilled-worker supply to grow by the end of 2027, and which sectors may receive targeted training support.

The plan sets goals for the end of 2027, including keeping technical school enrollment above 45,000, delivering more than 100,000 vocational skills training sessions, adding more than 60,000 skilled workers, and holding more than 400 vocational skills competitions. It also targets more than 200 recommended high-skilled leading talents. All quantitative targets below refer to the end of 2027.

What the Plan Means for Employers

The measures are written for local departments, schools and enterprises. Foreign-invested companies are not named specifically, but the plan repeatedly calls for enterprises to take part in training design, school-enterprise partnerships, skills evaluation and competitions. Founders in relevant industries should watch how these measures are implemented locally.

1. Deeper school-enterprise integration

Qingdao will promote industry-education integration bodies for the “10+1” sectors and expand “factory-in-school” and “school-in-factory” models. Enterprises are expected to help design training programs. The plan also calls for a dedicated employment service linking “10+1” enterprises with skilled talent, and for at least 35 order-based or company-named classes delivering more than 3,000 graduates to specific employers.

2. Stronger teaching capacity

The plan supports “dual-qualified” teachers and regular teacher placements in enterprises. It also allows high-skilled workers from “10+1” companies to serve as part-time teachers at schools. More than 600 training places are planned for integrated teaching, class management and sector-specific teacher development.

3. Majors matched to industry demand

Technical schools are expected to adjust their majors based on industry needs, with joint reports on talent demand and course recommendations. At least 50% of majors at Qingdao technical schools should relate to the “10+1” sectors, with those majors accounting for at least 70% of students. The plan adds more than 30 new majors, including intelligent connected new energy vehicles, low-altitude economy, intelligent equipment and life sciences.

4. Skills and academic qualifications linked

The plan supports pathways between technical education and academic education, including skills certification for people who already hold higher-education qualifications. It also encourages technical schools to set up programs for university graduates and working employees, and supports mutual recognition between skills learning and academic course credits. Eligible students may receive a technical school diploma, a skills level certificate and a higher-education qualification on graduation.

5. International skills cooperation

Qingdao plans five international vocational training projects and two new-skills projects for the Lancang-Mekong region, sharing Chinese vocational standards. It also supports technical schools working with companies going overseas, and continues localized German dual-system practice under a “German standards, Qingdao industry, Qingdao technical training” model.

6. Project-based training

The plan promotes a four-part model combining job demand, skills training, skills evaluation and employment services. It includes project-based employment skills training for graduating university students and a closed-loop mechanism in which enterprises propose demand, the human resources authority assigns tasks, institutions deliver training and the government provides subsidies.

7. Joint training with universities

Qingdao will explore joint skills training between ordinary universities, vocational colleges and technical schools, including shared courses, teachers and training bases. The aim is to improve university students’ job competitiveness and align training with “10+1” industry demand.

8. Health and elderly care training

Support will go to care enterprises running pre-job training, new apprenticeship programs and “golden blue-collar” training, with subsidies for eligible firms. A new government-subsidized training catalogue will include relevant care occupations, and more than 4,000 training places are planned for the care sector.

9. Industry training bases

The plan calls for classified training bases, including an AI science and education base, a platform for young digital talent with AIGC application skills, and a public integrated-circuit training base. Each has specific training targets for digital, AIGC and IC skills.

10. “Industry-education-evaluation” chains

Qingdao will pilot three skills ecosystem chains in areas such as smart home appliances, intelligent testing and port transport. Chain-leading companies are encouraged to work with suppliers, technical schools and training institutions so that industry demand shapes teaching and evaluation.

Skills Evaluation, Certification and Competitions

The plan gives enterprises more autonomy in evaluating staff, including process-based assessment, direct recognition and “one test, two certificates” models. It also expands senior technician and chief technician appointments and targets more than 60,000 skills-level certifications.

Internationally, Qingdao will use the Shanghai Cooperation Organization demonstration zone to develop a certification service system, including mutual recognition arrangements with SCO countries and promotion of local standards in areas such as new energy vehicle testing and repair.

On competitions, the plan builds a citywide system with at least 400 competitions, including more than 100 dedicated to “10+1” industries. Enterprises can turn workshops into competition venues and use real production tasks as assessment criteria. Award winners may receive certificates and recognition, and more than 300 city-level technical experts and rising stars will be selected.

Leading Talent and Platforms

Qingdao will regularly recommend candidates for national and provincial high-skilled talent programs and encourage companies and technical schools to recruit leading talents. The plan also builds a three-tier platform system of national master studios, provincial characteristic workstations and Qingdao technician workstations, with 20 Qingdao workstations to be recognized.

Practical Takeaways for Foreign Founders

• Check sector fit: the plan focuses on the “10+1” industrial system, including smart appliances, intelligent connected new energy vehicles, low-altitude economy, intelligent equipment, life sciences and port transport.
• Explore school partnerships: order-based classes, named classes and joint training bases may help with recruitment and skills development.
• Watch local implementation: subsidies, certifications and competition details will be delivered by Qingdao departments and district governments.
• Plan around 2027: the targets are end-2027 goals, not immediate entitlements.

Foreign founders can contact ChinaMNC on WhatsApp / WeChat at +86 153 1898 8535 for help registering and operating a company in China.

This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.