Hangzhou breaks a stereotype, gives talent a new definition

A post-1990-born deliveryman, Li Qingheng, recently became an internet celebrity after Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, adjudged him the city's leading talent.

The 25-year-old deliveryman from Fuyang, Anhui province, works in the Hangzhou sector of express delivery enterprise Sto Express. He won Zhejiang's Express Delivery Professional Skill Competition last year after he took part in a written and a practical working competition.

After that, the Zhejiang Human Resources and Social Security Department awarded him the title of "Zhejiang Provincial Technological Expert". More recently, he was awarded the title of Hangzhou city's leading talent, making him eligible for a 1 million yuan ($141,317) housing subsidy when he purchases his first house in the city, apart from welfare measures such as medical insurance and children's education.

News that a young deliveryman has become Hangzhou's leading talent won widespread praise online, as it breaks the stereotype definition of talent as being diploma-oriented.

Some people believe talents are people with higher education diploma working in some high-end technology industry. They also regard the job a deliveryman does as labor-intensive and low-end, not requiring talent.

Therefore, Hangzhou's innovative move does away with an outdated idea about career and talent. When talents are valuable for every industry, their assessment criteria should not be limited to diploma, as different jobs require different professional skills.

The young deliveryman proved to be the leading talent of the express delivery industry through his outstanding practical experience and skill, reminding all that someone's value should not be judged on the basis of just their educational background. Anyone who makes valuable contribution to his or her job is a genuine talent.

The news encourages people in all walks of life to work hard to become experts in their field. It also reminds society to raise the bar for assessing talents, in order to boost industrial development and better meet the demands of a new era.