The Chinese government pledged to train more skilled workers and enhance their earnings, as China’s manufacturing industry is striving for better quality.

Premier Li Keqiang said the ‘’spirit of craftsmanship” should be encouraged to inject new momentum into the economy, during a meeting with President of WorldSkills International Simon Bartley on April 7.

Guidelines issued last year proposed that the social status and income of highly skilled workers should be enhanced. Skills should be identified as a factor of benefit distribution, allowing highly skilled workers to have equity shares and options.

Easier access to “hukou” — an official household registration permit that comes with urban benefits — in big cities will be given to highly skilled workers.

Zhang Yizhen, deputy minister of human resources and social security, said at a policy briefing on April 7 that effective vocational training will enable workers to adapt to emerging industries and economic transformation.

She said that currently, high-skilled workers are far from sufficient to meet the demands of the job market. Nearly 10 million are still needed.

In China, high-skilled workers account for only 5 percent of the total, while in Japan and Germany, the number is 40 percent and 50 percent, respectively.

Lack of high-skilled workers hinders impressive industrial design from becoming products, a barrier to China’s manufacturing growth.

As China’s economy is growing to medium- and high-end, human resources are most needed, Premier Li said on April 7.