School of English,Xi'an Fanyi University,Xi'an,China Email:794616257@qq.com

[Abstract]In recent years,with the rapid development of China’s free trade zone,the corresponding demand for talents is increasing day by day,which puts forward new requirements for the cultivation of talents in colleges and universities.On the basis of summarizing the development positioning and talent demand of the existing 21 free trade zones in China,this paper discusses the innovation path of the cooperative cultivation of talents by government,enterprise and school in the free trade zone,in order to provide beneficial reference for school-enterprise cooperation in the new era.

[Keywords]free trade zone;talent cultivation;innovation

Introduction

By September 2020,China has established 21 free trade zones,forming a new opening-up pattern of“no gap in the coastal areas,with focus in the inland areas”,and simultaneously generating a large amount of demand for foreign trade talents,which puts forward a new proposition for talent cultivation in contemporary universities.Therefore,under this background,this paper discusses the related issues of talent cultivation in China’s free trade zone.

An Overview of the Strategic Positioning of China’s Free Trade Zone

The original intention of China’s establishing Free Trade Zone is to promote opening-up.At present,the 21 free trade zones are divided into three types according to geography,namely coastal zone,border zone and inland zone.Their strategic positioning and mission are different,so they have different needs for talents.The respective examples are as follows:

Strategic Positioning of Coastal Free Trade Zones

Taking the three new coastal Free Trade Zones this year as an example,their strategic positioning is respectively(Li,2019):

Shandong Free Trade Zone mainly aims to“promote the development of marine economy by accelerating the replacement of old growth drivers,promote the development of marine economy with high quality,deepen the regional economic cooperation among China,Japan and South Korea,and promote the construction of new highland for opening up to the outside world”.

Jiangsu Free Trade Zone mainly“takes the lead in building an open economy,developing the real economy creatively and transforming industries by deepening the adjustment of industrial structure and implementing the innovation-driven development strategy”.

Hebei Free Trade Zone“mainly focuses on serving the coordinated development of Beijing,Tianjin and Hebei,building Xiongan New Area with high quality,developing high-end and high-tech industries,etc.,building an important hub of international trade and logistics,a new industrialization base,a global innovation highland and an open development pilot zone”.

It can be seen from the above that all the strategic positioning of coastal free trade zones has the word“innovation”,which means that the exploration of innovative development should be carried out based on the original leading position in combination with the geographical location and regional development strategy,which inevitably requires the colleges and universities in these areas to carry out corresponding innovation of export-oriented personnel cultivation.

Strategic Positioning of Border Free Trade Zones

Taking the three newly established border free trade zones this year as an example,their strategic positioning is respectively(Li,2019):

Guangxi Free Trade Zone“forms an important gateway connecting the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and the Silk Road Economic Belt organically by deepening the opening-up and cooperation with ASEAN,promoting the construction of new international land and sea trade channels,and exploring the development and opening-up of border areas”.

Yunnan Free Trade Zone“through cooperation and development with Vietnam,Laos,Myanmar and other neighboring countries,builds an important node connecting South Asia and Southeast Asia,and promotes the formation of China’s radiation center and opening frontier for South Asia and Southeast Asia”.

Heilongjiang Free Trade Zone“will build itself into a central hub of regional cooperation with Russia and Northeast Asia by promoting the all-round revitalization of northeast China,deepening the adjustment of industrial structure,building a transportation and logistics hub facing Russia and Northeast Asia,and improving the level of opening up of border regions”.

It can be seen from the above that the free trade zones along the border have undertaken the mission of exploring new modes of foreign cooperation with China’s neighboring countries and regions,which inevitably requires the colleges and universities in these regions to innovate and cultivate export-oriented talents familiar with their neighboring countries as soon as possible.

Strategic Positioning of Inland Free Trade Zone

Taking free trade area in Shaanxi province as an example,its strategic positioning is(State Council of China 2017)“taking institutional innovation as the core,the reproducibility and popularization as the basic requirements,fully implementing the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council’s requirements of playing a better role of impetus function of the Belt and Road Initiative in the development of the Western Region,and intensifying the opening up of gateway cities in the Western Region,making efforts to build the free trade zone into a experimental field of comprehensive reform and opening up,a new height of reform and opening up in the continental area,and the important fulcrum for the economic cooperation and cultural exchanges along Belt and Road”.

It can be seen that the positioning of Shaanxi Free Trade Zone is to explore a new mode of inland provinces’opening wider to the“Belt and Road”countries,which requires colleges and universities in Shaanxi and surrounding provinces and cities to vigorously and creatively cultivate export-oriented talents familiar with the“Belt and Road”countries.

To sum up,the strategic positioning of free trade zones varies from region to region in China,aiming at exploring differently the reform and opening up experience and making greater efforts to promote opening up to the outside world.This puts forward the new era requirements for the talent cultivation in colleges and universities in various provinces and regions.

Current Situation of Talent Demand in China’s Free Trade Zone

As more and more domestic and foreign enterprises have settled in the free trade zone of all regions,the demand for talents who meet the requirements of the corresponding position is increasingly stronger,especially the talents(Han,2016)of high-end manufacturing(including aerospace,equipment manufacturing,a new generation of information technology,etc.),productive services(including design,development,aviation logistics,etc.)and the modern service industry(mainly financial innovation),involving more than 10 kinds of job posts such as management post,civilian post,professional technology post,skill operation post and so on.The following is an introduction to the talents in great demand in China’s free trade zone from the perspectives of talent level and post type.

Middle and High-end Talents

The middle and high-end talents mainly refer to those engaged in“l(fā)ofty”work such as scientific research and development and financial innovation,which are determined by the outward nature and lofty positioning of the free trade zone.They mainly involve aerospace,equipment manufacturing,new-generation information technology,biomedicine,mass consumer goods,financial leasing,financial services and other industries.In recent years,the number of registered enterprises in these industries has increased dramatically,making such talents the most popular candidates in campus recruitment fairs.In addition,the high-end is also reflected in the high degree requirements for talents.Take Tianjin Zhongyuan Xiehe Gene Technology Co.,LTD as an example.The positions for recruitment(Han,2016)mainly include R&D specialist in charge of r&d projects of cell immune-related products,instrument R&D specialist,reagent R&D specialist and other high-end positions,all requiring a master’s degree or above.

Middle and Low-end Talents

Middle and low-end talents refer to operators,machinery manufacturer and other technical talents,also known as blue-collar talents.At present,the demand for such talents in the free trade zones has not been fully met,mainly due to the increasing number of manufacturing enterprises in the free trade zones and the transformation and upgrading of China’s manufacturing industry.Such talents mainly come from vocational schools.

Marketing Talents

Marketing talents mainly focus on international trade,automobile trade and sales enterprises.In recent years,according to the recruitment situation of various free trade zones,there is a huge shortage of such talents.For one thing,the number of such enterprises in each free trade zone is increasing rapidly.For example,the import business of parallel cars in Shaanxi Free Trade Zone and Tianjin Free Trade Zone has brought an increasing number of such enterprises.The second reason is that most of the graduates prefer administrative,translation,finance and economics positions,and they send out more resumes.Of course,this has much to do with the majors opened by local colleges.

Talent Cultivation Innovation of China’s Free Trade Zone

Based on the above strategic positioning of China’s free trade zone and the current situation of talent demand,combined with the current talent cultivating mode of colleges and universities,the author puts forward the following suggestions on talent cultivation innovation in free trade zone from the perspectives of colleges and universities,industries,enterprises and governments:

Talent Cultivation Innovation in Colleges and Universities

As is known to all,serving the society is one of the three functions of higher education.In the era of free trade zone,colleges and universities should adjust their professional settings and teaching contents in time according to the strategic positioning of the free trade zone and the actual development of enterprises,and even make accurate matching,so as to ensure that the trained talents meet the actual needs of the development of free trade zone and better fulfill the function of serving the social and economic development of the region.To this end,colleges and universities should make the following innovations:

First,to actively carry out school-enterprise cooperation and establish a stable off-campus professional practice base.On the one hand,often organizing professional teachers to go to the corresponding enterprises in the free trade zone,timely understanding the talent needs of enterprises,and adjusting and updating the teaching content at any time,so as to ensure that students’professional ability meets the post requirements of enterprises in the free trade zone.On the other hand,regularly organizing students to go to the corresponding enterprises for professional practice,examining the major teaching effect on the spot,and comprehensively improving students’vocational ability.

Second,to invite the relevant enterprises to deeply participate in the teaching content design and student guidance,including extracurricular practical activities and various discipline competitions,and form a assistance pair with professional teachers to timely communicate related matters of teaching and research,so as to promote the improvement of teachers’theoretical and practical qualities.

Third,to establish a channel of substituted post exercitation in summer and winter holiday,implement apprenticeship system so as to increase the opportunities of teachers and students for vocational skills learning and training.

Fourth,to implement cross-major resources integration on campus,and jointly cultivate professional and compound talents needed by free trade zone.

Talent Cultivation Innovation Assisted by the Industry

Industrial organizations to which enterprises of free trade zones belong should also participate in talent cultivation to help enterprises cultivate the talents needed.Industry organizations can give play to their advantages in information resources,establish school-enterprise cooperative alliance,and try to innovate in the following aspects:

First,to organize school-enterprise cooperation activities regularly to promote school-enterprise cooperative education.

Second,to invite entrepreneurs to form a lecture group to give a touring report on the industry development in the corresponding colleges and universities so as to take the opportunity to publicize the needs of enterprises and explore the talents needed.

Third,to match schools and enterprises to jointly tackle the key problems of scientific research projects,apply for scientific research project and dock the conversion application of scientific payoffs so as to take the opportunity to find and cultivate the talents needed by enterprises.

Fourth,to gather all enterprise talents to jointly hold vocational skill training class or examination training class on vocational skill certificate for college graduates and workplace novices,so as to directly cultivate talents needed by enterprises.

Talent Cultivation Innovation Participated by Enterprises

Enterprises in free trade zone should also actively participate in the talent cultivating process,rather than waiting passively to hunt for talents at the job fair.To this end,the author suggests that enterprises try the following innovations(Zheng,2016):

First,to set up the enterprise scholarship in the corresponding university to specially subsidizes students with outstanding professional achievements and high profession quality in order to reserve the needed talent.

Second,to hold vocational skills competition or title the discipline competition in colleges and universities of the province where the enterprises are located,so as to explore and solicit the right talents.

Third,to hold the joint training class,titled class or order class with the counterpart colleges and universities to cultivate directionally the talent needed so as to avoid a job fair where resumes are numerous but one is hard to come by.

Fourthly,the human resources department of the enterprise should timely summarize the ability requirements and occupation skills and actively contact the counterpart universities to make free lectures or reports to cultivate potential talents.

Fifth,to focus on college students when participating in social public welfare undertakings,or invite college students to visit the enterprise and seize the chance to preach talent demand,conveniently selecting suitable talent.

Talent Cultivation Innovation Promoted by Government

As the enterprise director and service department,the government can make the following innovative attempts:

First,Human Resources and Social Security Bureau of the government can sign the cooperation agreement on human resources service with the service agencies of human resources development,and jointly construct public training center for professional skill talents to provide one-stop services,setting up special funds for talents,implementing the training of professional skill talents so as to help free trade companies to cultivate excellent talents.

Second,human resources and social security department of free trade area can sign the cooperative construction agreement with universities and enterprises to make full use of information advantage of the government,technical and working environment advantage of the enterprises and advantages of teachers,management,professional qualification identification of school in education training respectively,and set up government-university-enterprise cooperation platform to jointly carry out the talents cultivation.

Third,the human resources and social security department of the bonded area can cooperate with social human resources service institutions to establish a cooperation mechanism for talent flow,forge a regional service platform of human resources development and exchange,and build jointly the training system of regional human resources.

To sum up,talent cultivation in the free trade zone is a systematic project,which requires the cooperation of governments,industries,enterprises and universities,etc.,so as to meet the talent demand for high-quality development of the free trade zone.

Acknowledgements

This paper is supported by the Construction Fund for First-class Business English Major in Xi’an Fanyi University.