New professions open doors to innovative job opportunities

China has officially recognized 19 new professions, primarily linked to cutting-edge technologies and modern manufacturing, significantly expanding the job market landscape.

The newly recognized professions include biological engineering technician, dental hygienist, generative artificial intelligence (AI) system operator, and livestreaming anchor.

This recognition has been jointly authorized by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the State Administration for Market Regulation, and the National Bureau of Statistics.

To accompany the recognition, the Ministry of Human Resources has released a new guideline outlining the responsibilities associated with these professions. For instance, a dental hygienist is defined as a professional specializing in the prevention of oral diseases and the protection of dental health, capable of assisting dentists by performing supportive therapies. Meanwhile, a generative AI system operator is responsible for utilizing AI technologies to design, train, update, and maintain AI systems.

The ministry emphasized the significance of this recognition, stating that it helps in developing new job opportunities, guiding vocational education towards relevant fields, and enhancing workers' skills, ultimately encouraging employment and entrepreneurship.

Zhou Yan, a 20-year-old computer science and communications student in Beijing, expressed enthusiasm about the official acknowledgment of more information technology roles.

He noted that this development broadens career prospects for young graduates.

"There are many career paths beyond just programming. I'm particularly interested in artificial intelligence and plan to build my career in that direction. The government’s initiative to recognize new professions in this sector is likely to inspire more young people," he said.

Li Qiang, vice president of the recruitment portal Zhaopin, highlighted that the rapid advancement of digital technology has given rise to numerous new professions. He pointed out that the formal recognition of these roles underscores the government’s attention to emerging industries that generate new job opportunities.

“Endowing these professions with official status can help reduce job prejudices and protect workers’ rights,” Li noted.

Looking ahead, Li predicted the emergence of even more new professions, which will contribute dynamically to the nation’s high-quality economic development. Since 2019, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security has been actively improving the classification and recognition of professions, intending to cultivate new growth points within the job market. Between 2019 and 2022, 74 new professions were recognized, setting a clear trend towards the acknowledgment of innovative job roles in response to the changing economic landscape.