Shanghai releases the Notice on Special Measures to Support Talents for Resumption of Production and Work (Q&As are attached)

To further facilitate resumption of production and work, and give full play to the talent in serving socio-economic development, Shanghai Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau recently issued the Notice on Special Measures to Support Talents for Resumption of Production and Work. The Notice provides a series of special measures supporting talent for resumption of production and work. Q&As are as below.

A more open environment will be enabled to attract talent

The Notice made it clear that from July 2022 to June 2023, the current basic criteria remain reference for the item of “average wage” in talent attraction policies; returnees graduating from world top 50 universities can obtain permanent household registration (hukou), after taking a full-time job in Shanghai regardless of social insurance base and payment duration. Returnees graduating from universities ranked 51-100 can apply for hukou after taking a full-time job in Shanghai and paying social insurance premium for six months.

In addition, in the case that the employer pays the overdue social insurance by the end of 2022 at the latest due to the COVID-19, the Notice made it clear that after the payment, the enterprise will not be affected with its talent introduction. When handling talent introduction, a “green channel” should be provided, and priority should be given to the application of introducing in talent for key enterprises resuming production and work, and returned overseas graduates; enterprises are allowed to submit online application materials first and paper versions later when under pandemic control or anything else untoward.

Specialized campaigns will be carried out on employment of university students with greater efforts

The Notice stated clearly that the recruitment for common management positions and general elementary professional technical positions at municipal public institutions should lean primarily toward university graduates; graduates of 2022 can return to their alma mater before the year-end to take part in professional skills grade certification and enjoy government subsidies for vocational skills development.

Market-oriented allocation of human resources will be fully tapped in a more effective manner

The Notice stated that Shanghai will further enhance the funding support in the HR “BoLe” Incentives Scheme to guide the headhunting institutions in supporting more on high-level overseas talent and talent conducive to the fight against the pandemic, and to the resumption of production and work. A series of pro bono HR programs will be rolled out under the service model of “informing and promising”.

Moreover, special supporting measures are proposed in the Notice to provide public services in terms of high-level talent service guarantee, support for returnees pursuing innovation and entrepreneurship, and application for evaluation of professional titles for professional technical talent.

Next, Shanghai Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau will continue to bring the function of online platform into full play, strengthen consultation and publicity, launch “pooling talents for development” activities during talent-related policy publicity season. These efforts can help answer the questions of employers and the talent, assisting them to better understand policies, key measures and handling procedures.

Q&A

1. After the adjustment to the municipal urban employee’s average wages in July 2022, are there corresponding adjustments to market-oriented evaluation standards in terms of talents introduction?

Market-oriented evaluation (e.g., the level of social insurance payment) is one of the most important methods of diversified evaluation of talents introduction. After the adjustment to the municipal urban employee’s average wages, from July 2022 to June 2023, the current basic criteria remain reference for the item of “average wages” in talent attraction policies (including permanent household registration, transformation from residence pass to permanent household registration, permanent household registration for overseas returnees, point-based residence pass, etc.)

2. Will the employer be affected when handing talent introduction if he had not paid social insurance on time due to the COVID-19?

The employer will not be affected when handling talent introduction if he pays the overdue social insurance premium due to the COVID-19, which should have been paid during April to November 2022 (for March to October), by the end of 2022 at the latest.

3. Are there special supporting policies for overseas returnees from world-renown universities seeking permanent household registration?

Returnees graduating from world top 50 universities can obtain permanent household registration (hukou), after taking a full-time job in Shanghai regardless of social insurance base and payment duration. Returnees graduating from universities ranked 51-100 can apply for hukou after taking a full-time job in Shanghai and paying social insurance premium for six months.

4. How to identify world top 50 and top 100 universities?

They are identified by reference to Times Higher Education, U.S. News & World Report, Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings and Shanghai Ranking's Academic Ranking of World Universities. The exact rankings should be subject to the list in the permanent household registration system.

5. If the employer cannot submit the paper version of application materials in the short term due to the COVID-19, how can he proceed the handling of the talent introduction?

With application already been approved online through the talent introduction “one-portal-for-all” system, the enterprise can apply to the handling department for special service of “submitting online application materials first and paper versions later” when the personnel of the enterprise handling the application are in high or medium risk areas (or areas under disease control). After the online application and submission of hardcopy materials (as required), the recruiting can then be publicly displayed (except for those exempted from this process).

6. What objects can enjoy the “green channel” for hukou obtainment?

Talents of key enterprises resuming production and work, and returned overseas graduates can enjoy the “green channel”. After the recommendation and filing by the district human resources and social security authority, the key enterprise resuming production and work can be prioritized when handling applications.

7. How to apply for the Shanghai municipal HR “BoLe” Incentives Scheme?

The application for Shanghai HR "BoLe" Incentives Scheme is submitted by individual human resource service agency, and reviewed by district human resources and social security bureaus for qualification, and evaluated and determined by experts organized by the municipal human resources and social security bureau. The incentives standards will be based on the classification of talent. For those who recommend and recruit A-type talents, a one-time incentive of RMB 500,000 will be given for each talent recruitment; for those who recommend and recruit B-type talents, a one-time incentive of RMB 150,000 will be given for each talent recruitment. One human resources service agency can receive a total of no more than 1 million yuan of incentives every year. If the cumulative amount exceeds 1 million yuan, a maximum of 1 million yuan would be given.

8. Are there measures supporting overseas returnees in starting businesses?

In order to alleviate the difficulties faced by enterprises started by overseas returnees, the human resources and social security departments of each district and each overseas student entrepreneurial park will reach out to them, offering guidance and follow-up services, as well as reliefs such as exemption or delayed payment of rent for enterprises in the park according to relevant regulations. At the same time, enterprises of overseas returnees will be supported with social insurance subsidies for start-ups, one-time subsidies for first-time start-ups, guaranteed loans for start-ups, and discounted interest, etc.

In addition, in the year 2022, the Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau will also host activities such as the "Make Shanghai Your Home" Global Overseas Talents Start-up contest to showcase the latest achievements of overseas students in innovation and entrepreneurship, and build a platform for overseas talent exchange and project match-making. The winners will have the opportunity to be directly selected into the "Shanghai Pujiang Program" and receive 300,000-500,000 yuan of funding support. The project solicitation activity will be launched in the near future. Outstanding overseas students at home and abroad can pay attention to the official website of the Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, official WeChat and other information release channels to sign up.

9. Is there any special support for overseas returnees in this year’s “Shanghai Pujiang Program”?

The first is to promote the “Shanghai Pujiang Program” with non-contact and paperless application, appropriately extend the application time, and give favor to the front-line personnel of in the fight against the COVID-19, entrepreneurs, and young talents. The second is to encourage more overseas students who have not returned to China, but have reached a clear employment intention with the employer in Shanghai or have reached a project landing intention with the overseas student entrepreneurial park in Shanghai.

10. What measures are there to support university graduates to improve their vocational skills?

All kinds of vocational skills evaluation agencies are encouraged to give priority to providing skill evaluation services for university students, and support vocational schools to organize graduate students to participate in vocational skill grade certification through multiple channels. Vocational schools will be guided to give full play to the advantages of vocational education resources, and gradually provide evaluation services to students of related majors in other vocational schools in Shanghai on the basis of firstly carrying out grade certification for graduates of their own schools. Graduates of 2022 are supported to return to their alma mater to participate in vocational skill level certification before December 31, 2022. Those who have obtained certificates can enjoy vocational skills improvement subsidies as students in the graduation year.

11. Can enterprises enjoy subsidies for online vocational skills training for employees?

Employers such as enterprises and social organizations affected by the COVID-19 can enjoy subsidies for training fees according to relevant regulations, including various online vocational trainings related to the major business for the employees actually been put into work force. For every training project of no less than 24 class hours, a subsidy of 600 yuan per person per project will be directly given to the employer. In 2022, the number of times each person can enjoy the subsidy will be increased from 1 to no more than 3 times.

12. Which projects are included in the expanded scope of the vocational skills improvement subsidy? What is the subsidy standard?

In order to vigorously promote the vocational skills improvement and promote higher-quality employment, the national vocational qualification certificates for skilled personnel in fields of safe production, public safety, personal health, life and property safety in the national vocational qualification catalogue are included in the scope of subsidy for vocational skills improvement.

The subsidy standard for vocational skills improvement is 1,500 yuan/person for junior workers (level 5), 2,000 yuan/person for intermediate workers (level 4), 2,500 yuan/person for senior workers (level 3), 3,000 yuan/person for technicians (level 2), and 3500 yuan/person for senior technicians (level 1), 1000 yuan/person for ones with ungraded vocational qualification certificate.

Employees within the scope of the subsidy can enjoy 80% of the standard subsidy for vocational skills improvement; the students of higher education who have obtained the intermediate or above vocational skills certificate in the graduation year can enjoy 80% of the standard subsidy for vocational skills improvement; Students of secondary vocational schools who have obtained a vocational skills certificate in the graduation year can enjoy 80% of the standard subsidy for vocational skills improvement for one time; the disabled with Shanghai hukou, retired soldiers within five years of retirement, flexible employees, persons with employment difficulties, the unemployed, co-insurance persons, spared labor force from rural areas, and other personnel who have not registered for employment or unemployment can enjoy 100% of the standard subsidy for vocational skills improvement.

Workers can enjoy subsidies according to relevant regulations based on their personal status on the date of issuance of the certificate. The date of issuance of the certificate is subject to the date of certification marked on the certificate.