On November 25, the opening ceremony of the 17th National Coal Industry Vocational Skills Competition was grandly held at Shendong Coal. As the highest-level skills competition in the coal industry, this event brought together top skilled talents from across the country’s coal sector, aiming to build a platform for showcasing and exchanging high-level skills and promoting the advancement of industry expertise.

The Competition was jointly organized by the China National Coal Association and the China Employment Training Technical Guidance Center, hosted by CHN Energy, and co-organized by Shendong Coal. After multi-tiered selections nationwide, 243 contestants from 60 coal enterprises across 13 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions advanced to the finals. They will compete in three first-tier categories including underground explosion-proof electrician, underground operation worker, and mine ventilation worker. To ensure the authority and fairness of the Competition, 96 senior industry experts were specially appointed as judges.

Shendong Coal attached great importance to supporting the event, setting up a 6,000-square-meter high-standard competition venue equipped with 40 types of highly reliable competition equipment, such as simulators, instruments, and monitors. A dedicated support team comprising four working groups was formed, including conference affairs, competition affairs, logistics, and safety. Hundreds of volunteers and staff were mobilized to ensure meticulous arrangements across all aspects, from venue setup and equipment debugging to catering, accommodation, and safety measures, providing first-class facilities and thoughtful services to ensure the smooth progress of all competition procedures.

The National Coal Industry Vocational Skills Competition has been successfully held for 16 consecutive sessions, cultivating 138 National Technical Experts to date, and has become the premier platform for showcasing and honing the skills of high-talented individuals in the coal industry. This session adopts a comprehensive assessment model of “theory + practice”, thoroughly evaluating contestants’ professional knowledge and hands-on capabilities. The event features individual and team awards, with gold, silver, and bronze medalists and first-prize winners in the first-tier categories set to be nominated for the Industry Technical Expert honorary title by the China National Coal Association.