China aims to boost training, support and “ideological guidance” for its industrial workforce, to create a highly skilled talent pool as the country doubles down on hi-tech development.

The goals were laid down in a set of guidelines issued jointly by the Communist Party Central Committee, the core leadership body of the ruling party, and the State Council – China’s cabinet.

According to the guidelines, the country will focus on training to drive the development of “a top-tier industrial technical workforce” and provide talent and skill support for “Chinese-style modernisation”.

The industrial workforce is “the backbone of creating social wealth, and a key force in implementing innovation-driven development strategies and accelerating the construction of a manufacturing powerhouse”, the document released on Monday but dated October 12 said.

It also called for efforts to “unite and guide industrial workers to play a leading role in the construction of Chinese-style modernisation”.

Main goals listed included “solidifying ideological and political guidance” for the workforce, and improving its overall quality “with an ever-expanding team of knowledgeable, skilled, and innovative industrial workers”.

The country also aims to produce around 62,000 “master artisans” by 2035, including 2,000 defined as “national-level craftsmen”, according to state news agency Xinhua’s report on the guidelines.