Zhejiang officially launches the "Thousand Rural CEOs Training Program"
On September 8th, the launch ceremony of the "Thousand Rural CEOs Training Program" in Zhejiang was held at Zhejiang Vocational and Technical College of Economics and Trade, which was also the opening ceremony of the first batch of 100 students recruited by the training program. After the 4-day intensive teaching, they will also learn how to manage rural areas through base training, village training, remote teaching, and mutual visits.
The first batch of 100 students will participate in team building activities.
The term "rural CEO" sounds fresh, but in fact, in the past few years, many places have begun to explore the system of rural professional managers and the topic of transitioning from rural construction to rural management. In 2019, Xiajiang Village in Chun'an, Hangzhou issued a "hero post" to the whole country, recruiting professional managers; In the same year, the government of Yuhang District in Hangzhou took the initiative to recruit "rural CEOs" nationwide. This model began in Hangzhou and was gradually introduced into Zhejiang. For example, at the end of August this year, the Wenzhou Agriculture and Rural Bureau issued a notice, selecting 20 villages and communities with good conditions and strong demand for management talents as pilot projects. The plan is to publicly recruit the first batch of "rural CEOs" to the city in September. Professional managers have an annual basic salary of 180000 to 200000 yuan, some can provide free housing, their children can receive education locally, and there is also team performance evaluation, with a maximum subsidy of 200000 yuan.
The reporter observed that there is already experience in various regions, and like enterprises, open recruitment is carried out. The village collective economy is operated by managers in a professional and market-oriented manner, which drives the development of the entire village. It is indeed effective for rural construction and the prosperity of villagers. However, there are also some professional managers who are dissatisfied with the local conditions and leave their jobs quickly after entering the village; In some villages, the village branch does not delegate power and refuses to open up village assets to rural managers for operation. Many projects are repeatedly polished but cannot be implemented; A professional manager who returned to his village failed to achieve any results and gradually lost his passion. He only appeared when foreign visitors visited and accompanied them to introduce the village's situation and appearance. The actual work content was almost the same as that of a tour guide.
The first batch of 100 students will participate in team building activities.
It must be admitted that "rural CEOs" have career barriers. Perhaps because of this, in mid August, the Notice of the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on Organizing the "Zhejiang Thousand Rural CEOs Training Plan" was publicly released, with the aim of systematically cultivating rural management talents. The plan is to recruit 100 people in 2023, with the target audience being rural CEOs engaged in collective economic management in rural areas. In principle, the age requirement is not to exceed 45 years old. Simultaneously, it is necessary to meet the requirements of fresh graduates engaged in agricultural production; Having more than 3 years of work experience; One of the three conditions for retired soldiers.
The first batch of plans to recruit 100 students has attracted widespread attention from society, attracting nearly a thousand people from Zhejiang Province to sign up. Among the first batch of students who ultimately stood out, 40% were women, and 60% had a bachelor's degree or above. Their professional backgrounds varied, with some already engaged in rural operations, some being village cadres, some being resident makers, and even agricultural enterprise managers.
The first batch of 100 students and mentors take a group photo.
So, how can we cultivate "rural CEOs" in the new era? At the opening ceremony of the school on that day, the person in charge stated that they will start with innovation in curriculum design, cultivation mode, assessment methods, and other aspects, distinguishing themselves from traditional models and carrying out comprehensive iteration and upgrading. To truly cultivate these people into experts in rural management, not only should students master relatively systematic theories and technologies, but also pay more attention to practical operations. At the same time, they will also be equipped with expert mentors to help them master methods, sort out ideas, and form theories.
In order to enhance the effectiveness of training, Zhejiang has specially opened multiple types of characteristic courses, including village development planning, agricultural industry layout, agricultural brand construction, rural digital management, financial operation, product marketing planning, etc. At the same time, the "Top Ten Teachers Leading Apprentices" method will be adopted, and 20 villages will be allocated to hold "apprenticeship ceremonies" and "graduation ceremonies" to strengthen practical training.
In addition, Zhejiang also clarifies that after completing the prescribed courses and graduation appraisal, students will be awarded the Zhejiang Province High Quality Farmer Graduation Certificate, and will be provided with tracking services and priority empowerment in rural management, agricultural policy support, talent recognition and cultivation, paper recommendation and publication, and science and technology promotion projects. At that time, after the first batch of students graduate, Zhejiang will promote the formation of a learning achievement evaluation system and a standardized "rural CEO" system.
