Recognizing 'hotpot chef': Appreciation for craftsmanship

BEIJING, Nov. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from China.org.cn on China's newly recognized professions and China's vocational education:

Traditional copper hotpot from Beijing, numbing and spicy hotpot from Sichuan and Chongqing, light flavored hotpot from Chaozhou and Shantou, fresh mushroom hotpot from Yunnan… Chinese gourmet hotpot, with its rich varieties, are a mouthwatering choice for many friends from other countries. But it may never occur to many people that the soul of hotpot lies in its condiments — to have a tasty meal of hotpot, it needs "professionals" for the job.

Not long ago, the Occupational Classification Code of the People's Republic of China (2022 version) was released, which officially recognized "hotpot chef" as a new profession. Actually, back in 2015, a hotpot chef was recognized as a typical local profession in Chongqing, the "capital of hotpot". So far, over 60 thousand people have attained certificates after training. According to the vice president of Chongqing Hotpot Association, the recognition of the profession will lead to more systematic training programs at larger scales. Maybe "hotpot" will soon become a skill to be competed at the WorldSkills Competition, the "Olympics" of vocational skills. This represents a wish of more extensive recognition for hotpots, as well as the hope for the continued inheritance of such craftsmanship.

At the WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition being held right now, many youngsters are upholding such craftsmanship, bringing alive the meaning of "Every profession produces its own topmost master." For example, on plastering, Ma Hongda, a young man in his early 20s, has been practicing to bring accuracy within 1 mm. He already wore out a pair of 5 cm thick shoes in just two months, and his perseverance has been rewarded with an unprecedented gold medal for team China on the "Plastering and Drywall Systems" skill. Another example is joinery. 20-year-old Shao Rupeng has been sharpening his skills to a degree where he could make sure every seam of every joint measures less than 0.4 mm with his bare hands and eyes. Such pursuit for excellence won him a gold medal in the joinery skill. They are not the only ones. In competition skills including beauty therapy, health and social care, fashion technology and mobile robotics, contestants from team China all snapped up medals.

What's worth noting is that these young contestants are mostly students or graduates of vocational schools. Before, people in many countries held prejudices against vocational education, thinking that going to vocational schools means less than ideal career choice with dim prospects. Such phenomena also existed in China. In recent years, China has been promoting the equal status between vocational schools and academic high schools, driving further compatibility between vocational education and industry demands; moreover, China revised the "Vocational Education Law of the People's Republic of China", providing legal protection and support for vocational education. At the World Vocational and Technical Education Development Conference in this August, the Tianjin Initiative was launched, encouraging all the countries, industries and organizations to engage in vocational education and together, create a brighter future for the world.

Delicately made condiments are indispensable for delicious hotpot. Likewise, the development of a country cannot be carried forward without craftsmen. The recognition for new professions, the attention to skill competitions, and the appreciation for craftsmanship will definitely help remove prejudices against vocational education, thus empowering vocational skills to contribute more to development for all.

China Mosaic
http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm 

Recognizing 'hotpot chef': Appreciation for craftsmanship
http://www.china.org.cn/video/2022-11/18/content_78525739.htm 

SOURCE china.org.cn