On March 10, the 2026 Skills Promotion Month event for Guangzhou Development District and Huangpu District was officially launched at the GRG Banking Data Industrial Park in Guangzhou Science City. During the launch ceremony, the district's newly created skills promotion brand, "Kaopu Craftsman Talk," made its public debut. The first group of nine lecturers for the brand were presented with appointment certificates, marking a new phase of branding and systematization in the region's efforts to cultivate and promote skilled talent. The event also revealed that the total number of skilled workers in the district has now exceeded 400,000, with over 180,000 being highly-skilled personnel. In response to the industrial transformation brought by the artificial intelligence era, the district is accelerating the upgrade of its talent system through a series of innovative measures, aiming to establish itself as a digital skills hub, a low-altitude economy talent center, and a cradle for smart manufacturing craftsmen within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
The district boasts a substantial base of skilled talent, and the new brand initiates a fresh framework for talent development. As a crucial hub for manufacturing and technological innovation in Guangzhou and the broader Greater Bay Area, Guangzhou Development District and Huangpu District have achieved remarkable results in building their skilled workforce. By March 2026, the total number of skilled workers in the district had historically surpassed the 400,000 mark. Within this large contingent of skilled laborers, highly-skilled personnel form a prominent proportion, totaling over 180,000. Particularly noteworthy is the number of leading talents at the "pinnacle of the pyramid" of skilled workers, including chief technicians and special-grade technicians, whose total accounts for 20% of the city's and 10% of the province's figures, demonstrating the district's strong advantage in aggregating high-end, precision, and advanced skilled talent.
To further promote the craftsman spirit and cultivate a skills-based culture, the district prominently launched the "Kaopu Craftsman Talk" skills lecture brand during this Skills Promotion Month. It is understood that the birth of this brand underwent continuous iteration and upgrading. As early as the end of 2024, the district began organizing "Huangpu Craftsmen" to give lectures in schools. In 2025, the lecture model evolved into a dual-driven approach of "entering schools + entering communities," expanding its reach and social impact. Entering 2026, the activities underwent another comprehensive upgrade, forming a new five-dimensional model of entering enterprises, schools, communities, villages, and the internet. It was formally branded, giving rise to "Kaopu Craftsman Talk." The design of the brand logo is profound, drawing inspiration from the district's iconic "Pioneer" statue. The overall outline incorporates the form of the Chinese character for "craftsman" (匠), symbolizing a "ship of dreams" carrying the "sail of pioneering," and representing the "resonant heart" among lecturers, listeners, and the craftsman spirit.
A relevant official from the Huangpu District Human Resources and Social Security Bureau explained that "Kaopu Craftsman Talk" is another benchmark brand created by the district in the field of skills ecosystem culture construction, following the launch of the "Huipu Skills Research Society" training brand in 2025. It aims to build a new framework involving government, schools, enterprises, and society working together to cultivate talent with a craftsman's spirit.
The debut of the "Lecture Dream Team" places high-skilled talent in the spotlight. During the launch ceremony, the first nine lecturers for "Kaopu Craftsman Talk," composed of the district's top high-skilled talents, received their appointment certificates. This "Lecture Dream Team" covers multiple key sectors, including experts at the forefront of artificial intelligence, masters of advanced manufacturing who build major national projects, as well as renowned Cantonese chefs who serve people's livelihoods and preserve culture, fully demonstrating the diversity and high caliber of Huangpu's skilled workforce.
As representative lecturers, Tian Feng, Chief Engineer of GRG Banking, and Li Kaidong, Senior Electrical Engineer at NanYang Cable, shared their stories of craftsmanship and industry insights on site. Both experts have deep experience in AI-related fields; Tian Feng focuses on the development of AI big data platforms, while Li Kaidong specializes in the R&D of special wires and cables required for AI infrastructure support. Their presentations accurately echoed the strategic direction of Guangzhou Development District and Huangpu District to "fully embrace AI."
Tian Feng pointed out in his分享 that the accelerating iteration of AI technology is profoundly reshaping the competency requirements for skilled talent across all industries. In the practice of corporate R&D and real-world application, skilled workers face both significant development opportunities and practical challenges. Corporate demand for talent has shifted from requiring singular professional skills to demanding composite abilities encompassing "professional expertise + AI knowledge + cross-disciplinary understanding + innovation." He called on skilled workers to proactively adopt AI as an essential tool, actively learn new knowledge and skills, and courageously become cross-disciplinary practitioners who use technology to solve practical problems.
It is reported that as the Skills Promotion Month progresses, the Huangpu District Human Resources and Social Security Bureau will collaborate with relevant organizations to arrange for this "Lecture Dream Team" to conduct various forms of lectures at frontline locations within the district, such as technical colleges, industrial communities, and entrepreneurial villages. Simultaneously, to broaden its impact, the bureau has already established a "Kaopu Craftsman Talk" column on the "Huangpu Vocational Training" WeChat public account. Through this online platform, it will dynamically showcase the风采 of craftsmen, release event information, and disseminate skills-related stories, achieving efficient simultaneous online and offline transmission of the craftsman spirit.
Implementing the "Skills Summit" action to build a reserve force for "Integrated Advanced Manufacturing and Modern Services." The "AI vibe" of the event is reflected not only in the selection of lecturers but is also rooted in the top-level design of the district's industrial development. The clear signal conveyed on the launch day is that Guangzhou Development District and Huangpu District, in "fully embracing AI," are committed to discovering and cultivating a new type of skilled talent suited to the demands of the intelligent era, to support industrial transformation and upgrading.
To this end, the district officially introduced and began implementing the "Skills Summit" Action Plan in early February 2026. This plan focuses on the main objective of "seizing the high ground in building a high-level skilled workforce in the Greater Bay Area," with key layouts in three future-leading tracks: digital skills, the low-altitude economy, and smart manufacturing. The plan specifically includes implementing seven major talent cultivation projects, such as doubling the number of digital craftsmen and incubating low-altitude pilots, supported by nine high-value empowerment policies, including skills enhancement subsidies and funding for enterprise-led assessments. The aim is to systematically and comprehensively establish the district as an important digital skills hub, a low-altitude economy talent枢纽, and a cradle for smart manufacturing craftsmen within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
The policy support under the "Skills Summit" action is significant. For example, participants and their organizations who win awards in the WorldSkills Competition can receive rewards of up to 500,000 RMB; highly-skilled personnel rated as "Huangpu Craftsmen" can receive funding of up to 300,000 RMB; specifically for home purchases by highly-skilled talent, special housing voucher subsidies of up to 250,000 RMB are provided. Furthermore, corresponding subsidies are also available for obtaining specific certifications in digital skills enhancement and the low-altitude economy sector, aimed at reducing the cost of learning and growth for talent.
Currently, Guangzhou Development District and Huangpu District are vigorously promoting the deep integration of advanced manufacturing and modern services centered on "AI empowerment" (i.e., "Integrated Advanced Manufacturing and Modern Services"). The key to the success of this profound industrial transformation lies in whether a large number of skilled workers capable of breaking traditional industry boundaries and possessing composite skills can be cultivated. The "Skills Summit" action is precisely the strategic measure to build a core "new force" for this purpose. Through precise policy guidance and sustained resource investment, the district is committed to creating a fertile "skills ecosystem rainforest" where various types of skilled talent can thrive, thereby robustly supporting the construction and upgrading of the region's modern industrial system.
The fertile ground of policy has been deeply laid, and a more attractive and competitive environment for talent development is rapidly taking shape in Guangzhou Development District and Huangpu District.