There are currently a total of 596,000 skilled workers working in Huzhou, among which 209,200 are considered to be highly-skilled, and that number is increasing by an average of more than 12,000 per year. [Photo/WeChat account:huzhoufabu]

Huzhou in East China's Zhejiang province has made significant progress in expanding its talent pool in recent years.

There are currently a total of 596,000 skilled workers working in the city, among whom 209,200 are considered to be highly-skilled, and that number is increasing by an average of more than 12,000 per year.

Highly-skilled personnel account for 10.38 percent of the total number of employees, with the proportion ranking third in Zhejiang, according to statistics released at a government press conference on Dec 8.

The strong results are primarily thanks to efforts by the local government to cultivate and introduce skilled workers.

Those who obtained vocational qualification certificates in the city will be granted 1,000 ($153.84) to 6,000 yuan in subsidies. Highly-skilled workers are also entitled to a subsidy of up to 300,000 yuan from the local government.

This year to date, the city has allocated 69.67 million yuan in special funds to provide vocational training for 75,100 people.

The city is now home to 139 workshops opened by high-level talent, which have helped 12,000 individuals improve their vocational skills.

Three technical colleges in Huzhou have become national training bases for highly-skilled talent.

As of the end of November, a total of 23 units, including companies, technical schools and training agencies, from the city had acquired permits for vocational skill level identification.