New 'third-party' system to evaluate skilled workers

China will introduce third-party assessments of skilled workers in the non-administrative sector starting this month, the State Council Information Office announced on Thursday.

The workers will keep their existing evaluations, done by administrative departments and industry associations, until the new assessments are completed by the end of this year.

The changes are intended to make the evaluation system more scientific and diversified, by streamlining the procedures for gaining qualification licenses.

They will also make it easier for job-seekers to gain accreditation and invigorate the employment market, officials from the Ministry of Social Security and Human Resources said at a news conference.

Zhang Lixin, director of the ministry's Department of Vocational Capacity Building, said the changes to the evaluation system will help private companies and organizations better identify the kind of workers they need. "Companies are the employers of these skilled workers, so they have better ideas of what kind of workers they really need and how to evaluate the workers," he said.

Zhang said at the end of 2018 the ministry released a list of 18 State-owned enterprises to trial the new evaluation system.

"The skilled workers will get their licenses from those companies and social organizations rather than administrative offices," he said. "Government will focus on developing new professions, enacting evaluation standards and supervising the third-party assessment units."

Skilled workers in China are divided into two classifications. Non-administrative ones, who under the old system were evaluated by administrative departments or associations, and "professionals", such as teachers, lawyers and certified public accountant.

Administrative jobs are usually related to public security, people's lives and property safety. Their licenses are issued by State-level offices after applicants pass national examinations.

Tang Tao, deputy minister of Human Resources and Social Security, said that these occupations will continue to be evaluated by State-level offices.