National construction skills finals open in Xi'an as China bolsters quality housing drive

The national finals of the second construction project manager skills competition opened in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, on Aug 27, bringing together 236 frontline project managers from 33 teams for a two-day showcase billed as the country's top-level skills contest for the construction sector.

The 33 teams were drawn from 30 provincial-level regions, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps and two centrally administered State-owned enterprises, organizers said.

The event is co-hosted by the National Committee of the China Seafarers' and Construction Workers' Union, the Personnel Department of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the China Construction Industry Association and the Shaanxi Provincial Federation of Trade Unions. Centered on the theme of "quality construction for quality homes", it embodies the people-centered approach to urban development, promotes the values of model workers, labor and craftsmanship, and encourages learning, training and performance through competition — efforts aimed at forging a highly professional project management workforce to power the high-quality development of China's construction industry, organizers said.

At the opening ceremony, representatives of contestants and referees took solemn oaths to observe competition discipline and uphold fairness. Gao Jing, champion of the construction track at the inaugural National "Red Flag Cup" Team Leader Competition, urged participants to carry forward the spirit of craftsmanship and demonstrate their practical expertise. Officials from the co-hosts also addressed the gathering, commending the preparations and encouraging contestants to seize the exchange opportunity in Xi'an, compete at their best and spur industry-wide improvement through mutual learning.

Launched in March, the competition saw nearly 20,000 practicing project managers across the country take part in online training and drills, logging more than 4.56 million answers to a cumulative total exceeding 20.82 million questions, according to organizers. After successive rounds of selection at regional and enterprise levels, 236 standout project managers advanced to the national finals in Xi'an.

Over the next two days, contestants will be tested through three stages — a knowledge quiz, skills challenges and a comprehensive contest — designed to assess their theoretical grounding, on-site emergency response, project coordination and innovation capabilities.

The arena is as much a training ground for talent as a stage for rivalry, organizers said, adding that the industry will translate the competition's outcomes into development momentum, consolidate the talent base for project management and write a new chapter in the high-quality development of China's construction sector.

(Source: Shaanxi Provincial Federation of Trade Unions)