(Editor’s Note: What is the direction of vocational qualification reform? Does the elimination of administrative licensing and the national registration system mean there will no longer be any entry barriers? To help readers understand future reform trends, the editor has compiled answers to reporters’ questions given by relevant officials from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.)

Recently, the State Council issued the "Decision on Cancelling a Batch of Occupational Qualification Licenses and Certification Items," announcing once again the cancellation of 61 occupational qualification licenses and certification items. With this latest round of cancellations, the centralized cleanup of occupational qualifications is now essentially complete. Recently, a relevant official from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security provided clarifications on this work.

     Q: Could you please provide some information about the centralized cleanup of professional qualifications and highlight the initial areas where progress has been made?

Answer: Since the establishment of the new government, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, in accordance with the State Council’s directives, has taken the lead in carrying out efforts to reduce the number of occupational qualification licenses and certifications. Starting from 2014, the ministry has submitted to the State Council five batches of proposals to abolish a total of 272 occupational qualifications, representing a reduction of 44% overall—exceeding the target set by the current administration of cutting one-third of all such qualifications. This marks the basic completion of the centralized cleanup effort and represents an initial achievement in largely eliminating entry-based occupational qualifications established by State Council departments that lacked a legal basis or were not authorized by State Council decisions. It also signifies the near-complete elimination of level-evaluation-type occupational qualifications independently established by State Council departments and national industry associations and learned societies without prior approval.

Through concentrated efforts to streamline and rectify the situation, a large number of unlicensed, non-compliant, and unreasonable professional qualifications have been promptly revoked, effectively curbing the trend of excessive and redundant professional certifications. This has reduced barriers to entry for talented individuals, alleviated their burdens and societal costs, unleashed new vitality in talent-driven innovation and entrepreneurship, and injected fresh momentum into reforms of talent management systems and mechanisms. It has also facilitated the transformation of government functions in talent management and enhanced the scientific and standardized level of professional qualification management.

     Q: With the cancellation of certain professional qualification licenses, some industries have accordingly lowered their entry barriers. How can we ensure that the quality of professionals in various industries does not decline?

Answer: Overall, most of the five batches of occupational qualifications that have been canceled or reduced were established independently by State Council departments and industry associations and were not incorporated into the national occupational qualification system. Some of these qualifications lacked strong professional relevance and were therefore not suitable for management under the occupational qualification framework. The cancellation of these qualifications aligns with the principles of streamlining administration and delegating power, as well as with the need to transform government functions. It helps boost the enthusiasm of various talents for innovation and creativity, fosters a fair environment for employment and entrepreneurship, and alleviates the burden on talented individuals. This does not conflict with efforts to enhance the professional competence of workers in various industries. To improve their professional quality, in recent years we have primarily undertaken the following measures:

First, Promulgating and Implementing the Newly Revised Occupational Classification Directory Different occupational positions have varying requirements for workers' knowledge and competencies. Therefore, occupational classification provides a fundamental basis and reference for vocational education and training. The newly revised Occupational Classification Directory adapts to the needs of economic and social development, industrial upgrading, and technological advancement. The occupational classifications thus established, together with the talent-development standards and curriculum specifications formulated accordingly, will enhance the quality of vocational education and training, thereby improving workers' professional qualities and technical skill levels.

Second is Establish a lifelong vocational training system for workers. By establishing and improving a lifelong vocational training system that covers both urban and rural areas, we will essentially eliminate the phenomenon of workers engaging in occupations without any skills. We will reform the vocational training model by vigorously promoting employment skills training, on-the-job skills enhancement training, and entrepreneurship training, while taking into account short-term, medium-term, and long-term training needs. This will enhance the relevance and effectiveness of training programs and strive to meet the diverse needs of workers seeking to improve their professional capabilities.

Third, Promote reform of the talent evaluation system and mechanisms. Conduct research to develop a national vocational qualification framework system that is tailored to China’s national conditions, refine the vocational qualification system, and fully leverage the important role of the vocational qualification system in talent assessment. Based on the characteristics and growth patterns of different types of talents, industries, and job positions, study and establish a scientific and socially inclusive talent assessment mechanism.

Fourth is Increase the intensity of competition recognition and rewards. We will extensively organize vocational skills competitions, promote on-the-job training and technical contests within enterprises, and establish a vocational skills competition system that is led by the WorldSkills Competition, centered on domestic skills competitions, and underpinned by enterprise-based on-the-job training. This system will motivate workers to delve deeply into technology, enhance their skills, and achieve personal growth and success. We will further refine income distribution policies, encouraging production factors such as technology and skills to participate in income distribution according to their contributions, thereby improving the compensation and benefits for highly skilled professionals. We will also guide enterprises across various regions and industries to step up their recognition and reward efforts and ensure that corresponding benefits are implemented in accordance with relevant policies.

     Q: After significantly streamlining and slimming down the list of professional qualifications, how can we ensure that talent evaluation services remain uninterrupted?

Answer: Reducing the number of occupational qualification licenses and certifications does not mean abolishing all occupational qualifications—or, even less, dismantling the entire occupational qualification system. Rather, it aims to promote the system’s healthier and more orderly development and enhance its ability to better serve talent evaluation. Currently, the state primarily employs two approaches for evaluating professional and technical personnel: one is the title evaluation system, and the other is the occupational qualification system. For areas not covered by the occupational qualification system, evaluation can be conducted through the title evaluation system. Additionally, with regard to the evaluation of skilled personnel, we have established a diversified evaluation mechanism that integrates socialized vocational skills assessment, enterprise-based evaluations of skilled personnel, and vocational qualification certification provided by vocational colleges.

In accordance with the directives of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, we are vigorously advancing reforms to the talent evaluation system, including reforms to the professional title system and the vocational qualification system. We aim to establish a talent evaluation system that is oriented toward moral integrity, competence, and performance. Through these measures, we will continue to reform and improve the talent evaluation mechanisms, ensuring that talent evaluation standards remain unchanged and that talent evaluation services remain uninterrupted.

     Q: The reform of professional qualification certification has achieved phased results. What are the next steps?

Answer: On the basis of continuing to firmly address the symptoms, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security will intensify efforts to tackle the root causes, shifting the focus of its work toward deepening the reform of the vocational qualification system and concentrating on four key tasks. ：

First, Implement a management system for a catalog of professional qualifications. The occupational qualifications established by State Council departments will be included in the catalog list according to prescribed conditions and procedures, and will be publicly announced by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. The catalog will be updated regularly and managed dynamically. Henceforth, any newly established occupational qualification must be approved by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security before being added to the catalog list. No occupational qualification licensing or certification activities may be conducted outside the catalog list, thereby effectively controlling the “accounts” of occupational qualifications from the very outset.

Second is Establish a regular mechanism for streamlining professional qualifications. Fully leverage the “public-request-based” approach to identify and address any illegal professional qualifications uncovered through inspections, media reports, and public complaints. In collaboration with the relevant industry authorities, we will tackle each identified violation promptly and thoroughly, leaving no blind spots.

Third, Develop a vocational qualification framework Develop a professional qualification framework system that is aligned with China’s economic and social development and talent-development efforts; refine occupational standards and evaluation guidelines; and gradually establish a professional qualification management system characterized by scientific design, standardized operation, and law-based supervision.

Fourth is Strengthen the supervision and regulation of the establishment and implementation of professional qualifications. Strengthen daily supervision and intensify oversight of local efforts to reduce occupational qualification requirements, ensuring smooth implementation of policies down to the “last mile.” Continue to crack down on “certificate hanging” practices, urge industry authorities to establish credit management systems for certified personnel, promote information sharing, and impose industry-wide bans on those found in violation. Strictly enforce the separation of examination and training, thereby severing the chain of vested interests. Step up publicity regarding the crime of “organizing exam cheating,” revise regulations governing disciplinary actions for violations during qualification exams, update standards for vocational skill assessments, and severely punish “exam assistance” criminal activities, thereby purifying the external environment for occupational qualification management.

    Abstract:

Ø The key to the shift in functions lies in the fact that, wherever the market can take care of it, the government should let go and allow the market to do its job. The government must first feel confident before it can let go. Employers should be made the primary evaluators.

Ø In the past, we once strayed from the principle of learning for practical application and became overly focused on exam-oriented education. Only by enabling more people to stop blindly pursuing certifications—and by making employment easier, entrepreneurship more flexible, and innovation more inspiring—can we fully unleash the vitality of our talent pool.

Ø Having more professional qualifications is not necessarily better, nor is having fewer. Rather, in the process of building a country strong in human resources and implementing a talent-strengthening strategy, we must follow the laws of the market economy and the patterns of talent development, and establish a scientific system and mechanism for evaluating talent.

Recently, the State Council once again announced the cancellation of 61 occupational qualification licenses and certification items. This marks the fifth round of centralized cleanup of occupational qualifications. Since 2014, the State Council has altogether canceled 272 such qualifications. These professional qualifications account for 44% of the total number of professional qualifications established by State Council departments, demonstrating the determination and strength of government departments in streamlining administration and delegating power as well as in transforming their functions.

Why has the phenomenon of an excessive and indiscriminate proliferation of professional qualifications emerged? What demands does this concentrated cleanup place on the government’s shift in role? And how can we establish a scientific and standardized talent evaluation system? To address these questions, a reporter from China Organization & Personnel News interviewed Wu Jiang, a member of the expert panel who participated fully in the discussions, a member of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, former director of the Chinese Academy of Personnel Science, researcher, and doctoral supervisor.

Reporter: What was the original intention behind establishing the system of professional qualification certificates? Why has there been a phenomenon in the past of an excessive and滥 (overabundant) number of professional qualifications, drawing widespread criticism?

Wujiang: A professional qualification certificate is an official certification issued by the state to verify the knowledge, skills, and competencies required for engaging in a particular profession. It is a system that is broadly adopted across most countries worldwide. In 1993, the Third Plenary Session of the 14th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China put forward the requirement of “implementing a dual-certificate system comprising academic diplomas and professional qualification certificates.” In 1994, China began establishing its professional qualification certificate system. The primary considerations behind its establishment are as follows: First, through professional qualification certification, First, enhance workers’ quality and skills; second, establish a scientific talent evaluation mechanism to maintain order in the employment market and ensure fair treatment of employees; third, set entry barriers for professions that involve public safety, personal health, and the safety of public life and property, and strictly regulate these professions to guarantee occupational safety. Overall, the establishment of the vocational qualification certification system is of great significance for building a country strong in human resources and implementing a strategy for becoming a nation strong in talent.

In recent years, some localities, departments, and industries have independently established a large number of professional qualifications. According to incomplete statistics, many... There are over 2,000 such qualifications, with a wide variety of professional certifications that suffer from serious overlap and duplication. The proliferation of certificates and excessive examinations has become particularly prominent. Some professional qualifications carry little real value; individuals who pay fees to attend training and undergo certification exams end up with certificates that offer little practical utility, placing a heavy burden on talented professionals.

Why does the phenomenon of excessive and indiscriminate licensing occur? First, it stems from the arbitrary expansion and abuse of national vocational qualification licensing authority by certain industry regulators and local governments. The state may only authorize access to professional qualifications through legal provisions. The purpose is to curb factors that pose public hazards or undermine the order of production safety through administrative licensing for specific professional qualifications. 。 Currently, the vast majority of excessive and indiscriminate licensing requirements are non-administrative in nature—some are established by departmental regulations, others by local governments on their own initiative, and still others are self-imposed thresholds set by industry associations and academic societies. This clearly deviates from the fundamental requirements of the Administrative Licensing Law. Second, these problems stem from overreach, underperformance, and inadequate fulfillment of government functions, primarily manifesting as an overemphasis on licensing at the expense of effective regulation, with excessive and overly detailed oversight of professional qualification certifications. Whether it’s entry-level certifications or competency assessments, the government assumes full responsibility, substituting certification issuance for actual regulatory oversight. Third, there are systemic issues in the operational mechanisms governing professional qualification certification. Driven by vested interests, certain industry associations and academic societies have engaged in profit-seeking activities. “Whoever issues the certificate also provides the training”—a seemingly minor certification supports a large number of people. Even some government departments have been implicated in rent-seeking and corruption.

The drawbacks arising from this are all too obvious. Under the various thresholds set by qualification certifications and competency assessments, job seekers and entrepreneurs alike are constantly rushing to take exams. This places a heavy burden on both businesses and workers. As a result, many certificates have lost their intended purpose. Someone summarized it as, “Those who pass the exam can’t use what they’ve learned; those who can use what they’ve learned haven’t passed the exam. Those with certifications can’t use them; those who can use what they’ve learned don’t have any certifications.”

Reporter ： What requirements does the concentrated cleanup effort place on the transformation of the government’s role? And how will it unleash the innovative and entrepreneurial vitality of talented individuals?

Wujiang: As early as 2007, the State Council launched a cleanup effort aimed at addressing the issue of excessive and redundant professional qualifications. However, due to insufficient transformation of government functions and inadequate delegation of administrative powers, this cleanup effort has found it difficult to achieve significant breakthroughs. It wasn't until 2013—when this administration, guided by the new requirements of the 18th National Congress to deepen reform of the administrative system—that real progress was made, starting with a comprehensive approach to streamlining administration and delegating power, as well as reforming the administrative approval system. To date, this effort has been ongoing for nine years, and the sheer difficulty of the cleanup work is easy to imagine. Each department not only had to cut back on its own powers—a truly painful but necessary step—but also had to transform its functions and break through barriers of vested interests. Today's achievements are attributable not only to the decisive measures taken by the Party Central Committee and the State Council to streamline administration and delegate power, but also to the conscious efforts of various ministries and commissions to transform their functions and carry out self-reform, as well as to the strong support and cooperation from the entire society.

As a member of the expert panel, I was fully involved in the entire process of argumentation. The key challenge lies in determining which market behaviors must be abolished, which ones involving public safety cannot be abolished, which ones require a blanket approach, and which ones need to be treated on a case-by-case basis. For instance, non-administrative licensing and self-established requirements should be addressed with a one-size-fits-all approach. We must not only act in accordance with the law but also remain grounded in reality. Take, for example, entry-level professional qualifications: if they are genuinely needed for specific jobs or operations, we should legally reclassify them as competency-based qualifications.

The shift in the government’s role is precisely reflected in the delegation of power and enhanced regulation. This can be further divided into two categories: The first category involves direct elimination—removing excessive professional qualification requirements in business operations, thereby abolishing these barriers so that workers no longer need to obtain certifications, fully unleashing their rights to choose occupations and start businesses. The second category focuses on raising skill levels. These skill-level assessments can be delegated to industry organizations, intermediary agencies, or qualified enterprises, allowing such qualifications to become autonomous initiatives undertaken by industries and enterprises themselves. Of course, once authority is devolved, there must be competent institutions ready to take over; at the same time, government oversight must keep pace.

The key to the shift in functions lies in the fact that, wherever the market can take care of it, the government should let go and allow the market to do its job. The government must first feel confident before it can let go. If you’re not truly confident, you’ll never be able to let go completely. We need to trust businesses—after all, most companies know how to cultivate and develop their employees’ capabilities on the job. We must allow enterprises, industries, and markets to play a decisive role, and make employers the primary evaluators.

It’s not enough to simply rely on qualifications, but neither is it advisable to place too much emphasis on them. We must foster a correct view of talent—one that doesn’t prioritize status, seniority, educational background, or professional titles. In my view, we should even add another criterion: not prioritizing qualifications alone. As we promote mass entrepreneurship and innovation by all, we must ensure that everyone has the opportunity to develop their talents. The true measure of talent lies in improving oneself through practical experience in employment, entrepreneurship, and innovation—not in passing exams or obtaining certifications. In the past, we once deviated from the principle of putting practical application first and instead turned it into an obsession with examinations. Only by enabling more people to stop blindly pursuing certifications, helping enterprises reduce costs, making it easier for workers to find employment, fostering greater freedom in entrepreneurship, and nurturing innovative aspirations—only then can we fully unleash the vitality of our talent pool. This will create an environment where everyone can thrive and succeed, and will enable us to implement a talent-strengthening strategy that aligns with both the laws governing talent development and those of the market economy.

Reporter: There is a question in society: Does the streamlining of professional qualifications mean abolishing them altogether? How can we improve the professional qualification assessment system and establish a scientific and standardized talent evaluation framework?

Wujiang: The cleanup is not about abolishing the system; on the contrary, the effort to streamline professional qualifications aims to further improve the professional qualification certification system, ensuring that it truly plays its role in promoting the healthy career development of workers, upholding market fairness, and safeguarding public safety.

What exactly is a professional qualification? Simply put, it’s about establishing clear occupational standards that specify the knowledge, skills, and competencies one must possess to practice a particular profession. The system of professional qualifications is widely adopted internationally, and some developed countries have more comprehensive evaluation systems with a greater variety of categories than we do. For example, in the United States, to practice a certain profession, one must first register with the government—rather than simply obtaining a certificate. The registered profession must align with the national occupational catalog, which sets out specific standards. They also conduct ongoing oversight: registrants must have systematic knowledge and have undergone specialized vocational training at an accredited institution. If the profession is related to public safety, holders must even possess a formal professional qualification certificate.

In fact, having more professional qualifications is not necessarily better, nor is having fewer. The system of professional qualifications is closely linked to career development in modern society. It not only reflects the specialization and intelligence inherent in today’s professions but also embodies the specific requirements of the nation’s drive toward comprehensive innovation-driven development. Reforming and improving the national system of professional qualification certification—establishing a certification framework that harmoniously balances the government’s leading role with the market’s decisive role—is a major strategic initiative for building a strong country in terms of human resources and talent, and it also involves significant interests for the vast majority of workers.

Speaking of how to establish a scientific talent evaluation system, I believe that under the guidance of the national occupational classification standards, we can develop both national-level talent entry and competency-based evaluation systems, as well as industry-specific occupational level evaluation systems developed by industry organizations themselves. However, these systems should not be mandatory; rather, they should serve as guidelines without interfering with enterprises’ hiring practices or workers’ right to choose their careers. On this principle, enterprises that meet certain conditions may also establish their own job standards and evaluation methods—but these must not violate the nationally prescribed occupational standards, nor may they covertly function as qualification licensing or certification mechanisms. Moreover, certificates bearing terms such as “People’s Republic of China,” “China,” “National,” or “Professional Qualification” are strictly prohibited. In this way, the nation, industries, and enterprises will form a shared responsibility framework, each taking on its own duties while maintaining open communication and collaboration, thereby building a talent evaluation system that is internationally competitive.

Reporter: Next, how can we ensure that the cleanup of professional qualifications is effectively implemented and yields tangible results?

Wujiang: In this round of concentrated cleanup of professional qualifications, all departments under the State Council have set a fine example, and localities will also accelerate their efforts to conduct self-inspections and self-cleansing. I believe that in the next phase, work should focus on the following aspects:

One is Establish a catalog of professional qualifications. If concentrated cleanup addresses the symptoms, then establishing long-term mechanisms such as a national catalog of occupational qualifications addresses the root cause. We should build a catalog of occupational qualifications based on the National Occupational Classification. The catalog... No occupational qualification licensing or certification shall be conducted except as listed herein. The list must be scientifically sound and reasonable, publicly accessible to the public, and regularly updated and dynamically managed.

Second is Develop a vocational qualification framework system In addition to establishing professional qualifications, we must also develop further professional standards. Issues such as how to evaluate these standards, from which aspects to conduct the evaluation, and how to improve the working mechanisms all need to be standardized. We should, from the perspectives of both work and institutional development, accelerate research and the formulation of a comprehensive framework for professional qualifications.

Third is Accelerate the legislative process. For years, the problems mentioned earlier have arisen precisely because there has been no corresponding regulation—lacking a legal basis and with a low level of legal authority. Here, I would also like to call for the swift promulgation of regulations governing the establishment of professional qualifications. Only by bringing this work under the framework of the rule of law and in accordance with the requirements of governing the country and administering it according to law can the government smoothly fulfill its regulatory functions.

Fourth is Strengthen research and social oversight. On the one hand, we must emphasize the think-tank role of experts, strengthen theoretical and policy research, continuously deepen reform, and promote innovation. On the other hand, we also need to widely solicit public opinion—not only through government regulation but also through social oversight and public supervision. Only in this way can the national vocational qualification system be gradually improved and refined.