SHI Wenmei, is a graduate majoring in Township Enterprise Management at Zhejiang Open University and a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC). She currently serves as the Director of the R&D Centre at Huzhou Taiping Micro-Special Motors Co., Ltd. SHI was ever awarded "Good Samaritans of China" in 2013, National Model of Professional Ethics for Workers in 2013, National May Day Labour Medal in 2016, National March 8th Red Banner Holder in 2018, and National Model Worker in 2020.
As an NPC deputy who rose from the grassroots, SHI is deeply committed to the cultivation and development of skilled talent. "This is an era where everyone has the potential to succeed and fully utilise their talents. I hope to play my part in changing societal biases towards vocational education," she said.
SHI’s own story is a vivid example. In 1993, after graduated from a junior high school, she started her career from Huzhou Taiping Micro-Special Motors Co., Ltd., as a wire embedding worker in the electrician workshop. Through continuous learning, hands-on experience, and innovation, she grows to a technician, senior engineer, and ultimately the R&D centre director step by step, making herself an expert in the special motos industry.
Beginning as an ordinary frontline worker, SHI has spearheaded several significant scientific and technological achievements and patent inventions at the national and provincial levels. Her contributions have helped her company earn the title of Zhejiang Province Patent Demonstration Enterprise, with annual sales growth sustained for over two decades. In her daily work, she dedicates time to visiting workshops and communities, conducting in-depth research based on her expertise and offering constructive suggestions in corporate R&D and public welfare projects.
During her first attendance at the Two Sessions in 2023, SHI submitted a proposal advocating the comprehensive implementation of a "skill-based pay raise" system, calling for further enhancement of the social status of skilled talent. She also introduced a competency-based wage system in her company, where employees can be promoted and receive pay raises based on their skills. This year, she plans to bring forward a proposal to the Two Sessions, emphasising the importance of transforming family perceptions towards vocational education in the cultivation of skilled talent.
"The cultivation of Skilled talent is a systematic project that requires collaboration among the government, schools, enterprises, and families," SHI emphasised. She highlighted the critical role of mindset, particularly the influence of family education. "Vocational education provides students with a pathway to realise their own value. Parents should encourage their children to choose a suitable path to success based on their interests and strengths," she added.
Source: Compiled from Hangzhou Network, “Nanxun People’s Congress” WeChat Official Account