Shanghai plans to create 600,000 new jobs in urban areas in 2025, aligned with employment preferential policies and measures, according to the Shanghai Municipal Government Work Report delivered at the annual session of the Shanghai Municipal People's Congress on Jan 15.

The government will work to formulate preferential employment policies, improve the lifelong vocational skills training system and put more effort into preparing for the 48th WorldSkills Competition in 2026.

The report wants to improve college curriculum and talent cultivation to enhance course offerings toward key and advanced areas, along with the building of foundational courses, emerging subjects, interdisciplinary subjects among universities and colleges. On-site training program for talents in key industries and collaborative vocational education between schools and work sites will be widely introduced in the future.

Magnolia Talent Plan and Shanghai Oriental Plan, two of the city's leading talent plans, will proceed with strategic improvement under "Shanghai Talent" brands to attract global leading talents and research teams with technological and scientific innovation qualities.

To continuously generate the talent ecology, more effort will be put into formulating systematic services for global talents. The report also emphasizes the necessity of intensifying services and guidance for unemployed groups.

The goal is to build Shanghai as a city where youths lead development and benefit talents from home and abroad.

Xia Miao contributed to this story.