By LI Linxu

As a new round of sci-tech revolution and industrial transformation is gaining momentum, new job and entrepreneurship opportunities are on the rise in China.

By 2025, the newly added urban jobs will reach more than 55 million, the quality of employment will be steadily improved, and the environment of entrepreneurship will be further optimized, according to a plan issued by the State Council on August 27.

Aimed at promoting employment in the next five years, the plan pledges to take a series of measures, among which the role of sci-tech is highlighted.

Institute of Advanced Technology, University of Science and Technology of China.

"In recent years, the country's industrial structure transformation and upgrading has sped up. In particular, the application of some new science and technology is rapidly deepening and expanding, such as chips, semiconductors and new energy resources, showing a strong job demand in these fields, especially for skilled personnel," said Gao Gao, deputy secretary general of the National Development and Reform Commission during a policy briefing on August 30.

To meet the ever-increasing demand for skilled personnel, better training services and vocational and technical education are high on the agenda.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), an estimated 75 million people will receive subsidized vocational skill training, according to the plan.

"The country possesses 200 million skilled workers, of whom over 50 million are highly skilled, and they constitute a strong pillar supporting the drive of 'made in China' and 'designed in China,' " said Zhang Ying, director of the Department of Employment Promotion of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

The plan called for creating a better environment for entrepreneurship and innovation, and enhancing the driving role of entrepreneurship and innovation in boosting employment, particularly in the field of science and technology.

National sci-tech platforms, sci-tech reports, sci-tech data, sci-tech facilities and university labs will be more open to enterprises, social organizations and individuals, to create more entrepreneurship and job opportunities, according to the plan.

AI and related technologies such as robots, drones and autonomous vehicles could provide a net boost to employment in China of around 12 percent over the next two decades, equating to around 90 million additional jobs, according to a report released by PWC in 2018.

More efforts will be made in the talent cultivation and skill training of emerging industries, according to the plan, citing the examples of AI and digital technology.

"In 2020, the country's high-tech enterprises generated 37.84 million jobs, while makerspaces and incubators employed 4.8 million sci-tech personnel," said Wang Zhigang, Minister of Science and Technology, during a press conference in July.

In addition, the initiative of sci-tech entrepreneurship driving high quality employment proposed by the Ministry of Science and Technology provided 167,000 research assistant jobs, and created 150,000 new jobs by startups and incubators last year, added Wang.