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Associations, schools, and enterprises are working together to address the shortage of talent in this industry, reports Sinochem New Network. The chronic talent shortage faced by China’s industrial cleaning sector is set to be resolved on a systematic basis. On December 4, reporters learned from the China Industrial Cleaning Association that the country’s first specialized program in modern industrial cleaning technology was officially launched, and its first batch of students was admitted in July this year through the college entrance examination. “Driven by the association, Huainan United University, and various enterprises, the Chinese industrial cleaning industry, which has been developing for over 40 years, finally has its own university major! ”Du Bin, the secretary-general of the association, was visibly excited during the interview. It is reported that the China Industrial Cleaning Association, Huainan United University, Sinochem Lanxing Cleaning Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Qingdao Star Sky Purification Technology Co., Ltd. and others signed the \"Tripartite Cooperation Agreement for the Development of Modern Industrial Cleaning Technologies\" and the \"Tripartite Cooperation Agreement for Textbook Compilation\" on November 26; they will work together to compile 7 textbooks covering topics such as an introduction to industrial cleaning, chemical cleaning, high-pressure water cleaning, pipeline cleaning, tank cleaning, and safety management. Dong Haili, dean of the School of Pharmacy and Materials at Huainan United University, told reporters that this major was first applied for in 2023 by the university’s associations together with leading enterprises in the industry; an application was submitted again in 2024. In 2025, it was officially approved by the Ministry of Education to be included in the catalog of higher vocational education (junior college) programs at regular institutions of higher learning. This year, more than 30 students were admitted as part of the first batch. “The association will work with schools to integrate the actual working environment and standards of the industry into daily teaching. ”Du Bin said that, first, a \"dual-qualified\" teacher training model should be adopted, encouraging university teachers to conduct practical work in member companies on a regular basis; at the same time, engineers and technical experts from these companies should be invited to teach part-time or give lectures at universities. Second, it involves jointly establishing and sharing internship and training facilities, by encouraging member enterprises and educational institutions to create high-standard training centers, and ensuring that the allocation of training spaces, equipment operation procedures, and safety standards meet relevant regulations. It is worth mentioning that upon completing their studies and passing the assessments, students receive two certificates – a school graduation certificate and an industry skills certificate. This collaborative effort in building professional standards has received an enthusiastic response and high praise from the industry. “The number of companies participating in the joint effort has increased from 2 to 7. ”Lan Ning, assistant general manager of Sinochem Lanxing Cleaning Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., said that as an industry that serves as a \"companion\" to the petroleum and chemical sectors, there are over 100,000 professionals engaged in industrial cleaning in China. However, there is a severe shortage of technically skilled personnel in areas such as technical management, construction management, and project management. The emergence of this specialized field is expected to help address this gap. Many employers have expressed optimistic views on the employment prospects for this major. Lanning said that the talent needs of the companies involved in this collaboration far exceed the number of students in the first batch. “For these over 30 students, we will provide subsidies, training facilities, and internship sites, and as one of the first signing entities, we will actively recruit them for employment. It is hoped that through professional collaboration, comprehensive talents with a solid theoretical foundation and familiarity with chemical engineering technologies and cleaning processes can be cultivated. ”Song Jingchao, general manager of Qingdao Starry Sky Purification Technology Co., Ltd., also told reporters, “We are not short of people, but we lack talent.” ”【News Commentary】 Establishing a new paradigm for integration of industry and education: The establishment of China’s first major in industrial cleaning is not only a proactive response to the industry’s need for skilled personnel but also an effort to explore a new paradigm for deeper integration between industry and education. Although the initial enrollment size was small, it marked a milestone in this endeavor. On the one hand, it clearly reflects the substantial increase in the technical barriers within this industry; the era when a cleaning team could be assembled with just ’five or six people and seven or eight cleaning devices’ is long gone. On the other hand, it marks a shift in the industry’s talent supply from poaching professionals from other fields and relying on the experience of experienced workers, to a new phase of systematic, standardized, and professional training. It is worth noting that the collaborative model of \"association + school + enterprise\" has broken down the traditional barriers in education. The joint development of teaching materials, mutual recruitment of faculty, and sharing of platforms ensure that talent training is closely aligned with actual production needs, enabling a seamless transition from the school to the factory. This approach provides a solid model for how vocational education can truly contribute to industrial upgrading, demonstrating a viable path for deep integration between industry and education. It is reasonable to believe that as more institutions join in, this major will contribute sustainable talent resources to the high-quality development of the industrial cleaning industry. And this quiet “trilateral collaboration” may well point to what China’s vocational education will look like in the future.