Turning point for labor

One example is Shanghai Kaijian Huazhan Senior Care Service Co, a senior care home that provides training classes for its nurses. "We think training for nurses is extremely important to provide high quality care," says executive director Michael Li.

He says training encompasses many techniques, including how to get to know patients' habits, family backgrounds and personalities, as well as how to persuade patients to take medicine, to maintain a good lifestyle or take a shower.

"Such small tasks require tremendous skills and technical knowledge, as well as a positive attitude and teamwork spirit, which is why training is important," Li says.

To bring best international practices to Shanghai Kaijiang Huazhan, Li's team visits Western countries such as the US to learn from their nurses at senior homes. He then brings this knowledge back to its nurses in China. "We hope to bring Western experiences to China, but we also want to learn lessons from the mistakes Western countries have made so we can avoid them," Li says.

Looking into the future, Zhan says China urgently needs to improve the skills of migrant workers so that they can better integrate with city life. "China's new generation migrants will form the basis of our urban industry workforce. And education and training will play a key role in matching their skills levels with what is required in China's urban centers", Zhan says.