China's thriving new energy vehicle (NEV) industry is fueling an unprecedented demand for skilled professionals due to its high level of automation and intelligence.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the industry is projected to require 1.2 million talents by 2025.
The rising demand for talents has been witnessed firsthand by a laser radar manufacturer for new energy vehicles based in Shenzhen, an innovation hub in south China's Guangdong Province.
Xie Xing, the head of human resources at the company, revealed a significant surge in recruitment compared to the previous years.
"We have seen a recruitment growth in our hardware division for laser radar, as well as in the chip division, the algorithm and software development division. Over the past two years, our recruitment numbers have nearly doubled. Especially in the division of AI algorithms and software development, the recruitment is even larger," said Xie.
The thirst is strong especially for high-skilled talents in research and development, manufacturing, and product service sectors, as well as for sales and maintenance personnels.
The demand for multidisciplinary talents is huge as well.
"In the job market, there will be a particularly strong demand for high-end, multidisciplinary, and younger professional talents," said Zhang Lei, vice general manager of a human resource company in Shenzhen.
The increasing demand for talent in the new energy vehicle industry has led to more and more universities and colleges to introduce programs and disciplines related to new energy vehicle technology.
As of 2023, data indicated that out of China's 1,545 higher vocational colleges, 716 offered programs in new energy vehicle technology, an increase of 1.5 times compared to 2018.
Shenzhen Technology University, for instance, has witnessed a surge in enrollment in its various fields of study.
"In the first year, we had around 50 students. Now we have more than 200 students annually, with a curriculum covering a wide range of subjects including vehicle mechanics, electronics, battery systems, electrical control, intelligent driving, robot sensing and data fusion, and even business and ergonomics. Our goal is to train over 500 students per year," said Li Heyan, a professor of Shenzhen Technology University.
With more and more schools offering programs in new energy vehicle technology, the talent shortage in the industry is expected to be eased in the foreseeable future.
China's NEV industry sees increased demand for talents amid automation, intelligence development
