Spirit of craftsmanship should extend to all

Ever since the proposal for establishing a "Model Worker's Day of Craftsmanship" or "Chinese Craftsmanship Day" was raised at this year's two sessions, the "spirit of craftsmanship" has been further discussed in society.

In fact, ever since the "spirit of craftsmanship" was first introduced in the Government Work Report five years ago, various kinds of activities have been organized across the country for selecting "outstanding craftsmen". That and various policies some local governments have adopted to raise the incomes of skilled workers are aimed at cultivating highly skilled industrial workers and inculcating in them the "spirit of craftsmanship".

In fact, people in China no longer associate the "spirit of craftsmanship" with German or Japanese workers. From Gao Fenglin, a senior technician who has for years been welding rocket engines, overcoming difficulties in engine nozzle welding technology, to Zou Bin, a "common mason" who has won an international competition, there are now enough homegrown skilled workers with the "spirit of craftsmanship".

If "spirit of craftsmanship" is compared to the "superstructure" of industrial workers, then vocational training, quality, treatment and welfares, and incentives jointly constitute an indispensable "economic foundation" and are fertile grounds for cultivating the "spirit of craftsmanship". At present, this foundation needs to be further consolidated, the "last mile" in existing policies needs to be opened up and the internal motivation for the "spirit of craftsmanship" needs to be further enhanced.

Despite China's efforts to develop vocational training, it is still not that attractive and there exist many obstacles to improving the quality of industrial workers and cultivating more "outstanding craftsmen". More innovative practices are needed and the existing social evaluation system still has room for improvement.

As China enters a new stage of development, it is more important than ever for it to rely closely on the working class and working people, and to promote the "spirit of model workers", the "spirit of work" and the "spirit of craftsmanship". In a nutshell, the "spirit of craftsmanship" is indispensable to creating a higher status in society. And it is not limited to workers in traditional industries, but should be extended to those in all walks of life.

In today's information era, big data, the internet of things and artificial intelligence are changing people's lifestyles. So, the cultivation of a "spirit of craftsmanship" should not be confined to a team of knowledge-based, skilled, innovative industry workers. It should be pursued by all workers in every field.