Zou Bin (blue shirt) and colleagues at a construction site. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Training of migrants is necessary to create a new generation of industrial worker characterized by high-quality craftsmanship, according to Zou Bin, a National People's Congress deputy and manager of quality control at the General Contracting Company of China State Construction Engineering Corp's Fifth Bureau.
Zou, who was born in a village in Loudi, Hunan province, in 1995, was a migrant worker at various construction sites after graduation from junior high school.
Craftsmanship is his pursuit.
In 2015, because of his bricklaying skills, he won the Medallion for Excellence at the 43th World Skills Competition held in Brazil.
As the youngest deputy in the Hunan delegation to the ongoing NPC, Zou has been making proposals related to the well-being of migrant workers since 2018. As a worker himself, he has gained insights into the people around him.
Zou Bin attends the fifth session of the 13th National People’s Congress. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
"I hope sincerely that society can pay more attention and care more about migrant workers, to make more opportunities and chances for us to study, improve ourselves and change our fate," Zou said during the two sessions last year.
To prepare this year's proposal, Zou visited schools that train construction workers in Hunan and talked with peers from different companies.
"Our country is under transition from high-speed development to high-quality development. Consistent training of construction workers and improving their craftsmanship plays a vital role in this process," Zou said.
He said the process of recognizing certifications between enterprises and schools should be simplified to improve individual advancement and workers' economic well-being, and the rights of construction workers should be better protected.