Registered safety engineers in 2018 are set to experience a \"second spring\"”

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Since its introduction in 2004, the certification for safety professionals has not enjoyed particularly high demand. However, with the frequent occurrence of safety accidents in recent years, there is an increasing emphasis on safe production. In order to strengthen the workforce of professionals in this field and improve their skills and qualifications, after years of reform efforts in 2016 and 2017, starting at the end of 2017, the former State Administration of Work Safety (now the Ministry of Emergency Management) issued a series of reform measures. As a result, the certification program was divided into 7 different specialties, moving toward greater specialization. The year 2018 was the first year of exam reforms and also the starting point for exams by specialty. Although many candidates remained cautious, similar to the situation during the re-exam attempts in 2017, the number of applicants in 2017 reached nearly 200,000, the highest figure on record. In 2018, the \"Regulations on the Management of Certified Safety Engineers by Specialty\" set a requirement of 15% of employees in safety-related positions and in key organizations to hold such certificates; some manufacturing companies required their staff in safety-related roles to have these certificates, while many other companies encouraged their employees to apply for them. The draft regulations raised the eligibility threshold to a college or technical school diploma, which led to a significant increase in the number of applicants with such qualifications. This year, the number of applicants is expected to reach around 300,000, setting another record. The content of the exams in 2018 will also see significant changes, with higher requirements placed on the skills and qualifications of professionals in safety production. The most notable change is in the professional practice section, formerly known as case analysis – it now includes more technical content, and the case studies are more in-depth and specialized, which inevitably increases the difficulty level. Although there won’t be major changes in the three general subjects of laws and regulations, management, and technical fundamentals, the breadth and depth of the knowledge points and examination topics that need to be mastered will increase accordingly. At the same time, the examination cycle will be changed from 2 years to 4 years, which will inevitably **increase** the difficulty of the exams. Compared with the First-Class Constructor exams held in the same year, the passing rate for those exams has remained around 5% over the past decade, with an examination cycle of 2 years. Unlike constructors, safety engineers work in various industries such as coal mining, metal and non-metal industries, the chemical industry, construction, and road transportation; thus, the scope of application for safety engineer certificates is broader. Moreover, due to increasing emphasis on safety, many organizations have established dedicated safety and emergency response departments, making the role of safety engineers even more important. It is estimated that there will be a shortage of around 1.5 million safety engineers nationwide within five years. “As the first year of reform, the difficulty of the exams is bound to increase in 2018, but it will take a few years for adjustments to be made. Production safety must always remain a top priority, and the skills and qualifications required of safety professionals will continue to rise. It is estimated that the pass rate in 2018 will be around 10%, with this figure gradually stabilizing within a reasonable range of 3%-5%. ”Xue Lian, director of the Policy Research Center for Safety Education, told reporters. “An Jiao Yu is an institution dedicated to safety education. We are committed to cultivating more professionals in safety production technology and management. The prospects for those working in this field are excellent; in addition to striving to obtain the necessary professional qualifications through exams, it is also important to keep learning and improving one’s skills in order to contribute to the safe production of enterprises. With the arrival of spring, those working in this field are about to experience a new chapter in their careers!