Summary:

Earlier in September 2017, China’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) issued an official list of national occupational qualifications. The list is part of a project to rationalise and clean up China’s complicated system of professional qualifications and licenses, which was managed by a patchwork of different government departments rather than being centrally organised.

The list includes 140 different qualifications, including 59 aimed at professionals and 81 aimed at skilled personnel. 41 of these qualifications are entry qualifications, meaning that they can be legally required to practice a certain profession or trade, while the remaining 99 have been classed as proficiency evaluation.

The announcement, titled Circular on Issuing the Catalogue of National Professional and Occupational Qualifications, also prohibits government bodies from granting or accrediting any occupational qualification not listed in the catalogue or from enforcing compulsory professional qualifications other than those designated.

Analysis by Kevin Prest

This is the culmination of a project previously reported on SIEM News last year to “clean up” China’s professional qualifications environment by eliminating unnecessary qualifications and licenses. This is intended to simplify the business environment and eliminate unnecessary obstacles to employment, especially for vocational college and secondary school graduates. The clearer list of official government qualifications will also help to make the market environment clearer for UK awarding bodies and education providers.

Sources:

1. Circular on Issuing the Catalogue of National Professional and Occupational Qualifications (MOHRSS, in Chinese) with full lists: http://www.mohrss.gov.cn/gkml/xxgk/201709/t20170915_277385.html

2. China cancels a further 47 professional qualifications; 319 qualifications cancelled since 2014 (SIEM News): https://education-services.britishcouncil.org/news/market-news/china-cancels-further-47-professional-qualifications-319-qualifications-cancelled