Action plan to increase supply of digital talent

China plans to boost the supply of digital talent to support the development of its fast-growing digital economy by 2026, according to an action plan published on Wednesday.

According to the plan jointly released by nine departments, including the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, a series of support will be provided to help digital talent be more innovative and increase the number of high-quality digital talent in three years.

Training will be provided to digital technicians in the new sectors of big data, artificial intelligence, intelligent manufacturing, integrated circuit and data security. Also, national occupational standards will also be introduced for new occupations in those sectors, the plan said.

It added that more efforts will be put in to help workers at enterprises that undergo digital transformations master new skills. Targeted training will be provided to workers at different industries so they can become experts in both industrial and digital technologies.

Also, digital talent who have studied abroad are encouraged to return and start new businesses, particularly in the sectors of artificial intelligence, information technology, intelligent manufacturing and e-commerce. Meanwhile, domestic digital talent can receive training overseas, the plan said.

China has one of the fastest growing digital economies in the world. The country's digital economy, now ranking second in the world in terms of the overall scale, has shown strong growth momentum. However, there are still obstacles in the process of its development, including the shortage of digital talent.