The Ministry of Education, along with two other ministries, has issued a guideline for manufacturing personnel development planning, as an effort to pave the way for the growth of China’s manufacturing, according to a news conference held by the ministry on Feb 14.

It is the last document listed in the “1+X” program guidelines for the “Made in China 2025” strategy, said Li Beiguang, deputy director of the Planning Division of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

The guideline is set to enhance reform in supplying manufacturing personnel, which puts forward five projects for integrating manufacturing industry with education, developing innovative professional and technical personnel, cultivating personnel with high proficiency, fostering talent for enterprise management, and enhancing the quality of the sector’s entire personnel.

The manufacturing industry has seen many challenges caused by illogical personnel structure, such as the lack of leading personnel and expertise and talent in fundamental and advanced sectors, said Wang Jiping, an official from the Ministry of Education.

Some manufacturing talent training doesn’t take into consideration enterprises’ actual needs, Wang added.

By 2020, the length of education per capita in the industry will be more than 11 years, and college-educated people will make up 22 percent. Also, high-skilled talent will account for 28 percent of the skilled workers, and researchers will take up 6 percent of all employees, according to the guideline.