Since its launch in 2008, the National Vocational Students Skills Competition (NVSSC) has attracted the participation of over 80,000 students, of whom 50,000 received awards. For many award winners, the competition showcasing their potential, has served as a springboard for them to become leading engineers in their respective fields.
Wang Jing, a 2008 graduate of the Tianjin Vocational Institute, is one such example. On the evening of May 6, he spoke to the audience of the 2018 NVSSC about how his own participation in the event 10 years previously changed his life.
In 2008, Wang participated in the first NVSSC (vocational college student category), and won first prize for numerical control (NC) programming, processing and component assembly. This allowed him to enroll on a bachelor degree program without taking entrance examinations. “Vocational training equipped me with a superior set of skills, paving the way for me to enter the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, a high-tech research company,” Wang said.
During his time at the company, he again won double first prizes in both the NC programming theoretical and practical competitions organized by the company and completed a piece of major scientific research, earning him the honorary title of “Aerospace Technology Expert”.
“It’s the NVSSC that allowed me to meet my better self. My personal experience evidences that vocational education is by no means second-rate. Rather, it is specially designed to train highly skilled workers and technical talent. With commitment and hard work, everyone can excel,” Wang added.
The competitions encouraged Wang to keep honing his skills, and during his studies at the Institute, he took part in a number of national tournaments. In order to prepare as best as possible for these contests, he would repeatedly test his knowhow in labs and factories, deepening his expertise and stimulating creativity, thereby forging a solid foundation on which he could pursue his studies and start a promising career.
Wang however, is most proud of the fact that his photo appeared in the “Great Progress over the Past Five Years” exhibition held in the Beijing Exhibition Hall in 2017. “Whenever I think that the Radar I helped build went on to be successfully manufactured, I feel a great sense of accomplishment. Turning the country into a manufacturing power requires not only research and development in cutting-edge technologies, but also advanced manufacturing process,” said Wang.
“My dream is to become a top-level engineer so that I can play my part in making China a world leader in innovative manufacturing technologies.” He added that, “To become such a capable worker, you have to be focused on what you do, constantly thinking and exploring, not only about how to achieve things, but also about how to achieve them more efficiently and effectively—that’s how I understand ‘the Spirit of the Craftsman’”.
