新加坡海峡时报》:(陈胜军) 解读中国取消职业资格考试China to overhaul job certificate system
It cost almost 1,000 yuan (S$200) for Mr Cao Xuechao to sit a property agent certification test six years ago but, since then, not one of his clients has asked to see his certificate.
"Customers don't know about this, and they have never asked to see my accreditation. It is more a formality for the company," he told The Straits Times.
Worse, there has been rampant renting and selling of these certificates by retired agents, another indication that the certification has become quite meaningless.
Situations like this have prompted the government to overhaul its vocational qualification certificate system, which will slash by at least half the roughly 1,100 certifications offered by the central and local governments and industry associations.
This comes amid a push by Beijing to eliminate unnecessary thresholds for employment and start-ups in the hope of promoting innovation and boosting the economy.
The certifications are meant to either allow a person access to a certain job or assess his aptitude in a particular field. But there has been an over-proliferation as organisations use them to make money, leading to a chaotic situation.
Among the first to be abolished was the property agent certification, in August, along with 10 others that have been deemed unnecessary. These include those for appraisers of mining rights, brand supervisors, tax accountants and one for professionals who wish to engage in international business.
Some 570 certifications conducted by local governments will also be abolished.
The international business certification had come under the spotlight last week after Premier Li Keqiang was reported to have called it "meaningless" at a State Council meeting, noting in amusement that even China's ministerial-level international trade representative lacked the qualification.
Tests should be abolished if they are not required by law, he said. The law requires certain types of workers, such as those in public security and health, to be certified.
Experts say the overhaul is part of efforts to clean up and standardise various vocational qualification approvals and to prevent governmental bodies from exploiting these tests for profit.
A majority of the tests that were cancelled also had low take-up rates, media reports say.
Professor Chu Hongqi of the Beijing Academy of Education Science said that with the rapidly increasing number of tests, the system was becoming "chaotic". "It is not surprising that the quality of some of these tests was quite low as many organisations were just hoping to make a quick buck."
While some who had taken the cancelled tests were unhappy that their certificates had become "waste paper" overnight, others were supportive of the move. Lawyer Bi Cheng, 40, for instance, paid about 200 yuan to sit a business law consultancy test in 2006. The test is among the first batch of 11 to be abolished. "In the past, it might have been needed to show proficiency, but the industry is more professionalised now and most lawyers are degree holders who are familiar with the relevant laws," he said. "It is good to remove these tests to declutter the industry."
The challenge now is abolishing tests without undermining the qualification system. To this end, industry associations will gradually step in to take over the responsibilities of aptitude assessment, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security official Sun Jianli told the media last month.
But this does not mean the government is leaving regulation entirely to the market.
University of International Business and Economics professor Chen Shengjun noted that the government is keeping certifications that are deemed important and also plans to retain oversight of those that are handed over to industry associations. "This means that even if the tests are implemented by industry associations, they will need approval from a relevant ministry," he said. "In general, regulation is being centralised so it falls under the central rather than local governments."
