Empowering 00s in Advanced Manufacturing: Smoore's Story

Aug.11.2022
Empowering 00s in Advanced Manufacturing: Smoore's Story
Chinese manufacturing company, SMORE, provides opportunities and pathways for Gen Z to become skilled and versatile professionals.

Every summer, it is the busiest time for the recruitment team of Simore.


This year has been especially busy, as we are not only accepting new hires but also welcoming past partners. The "new" refers to the nearly 200 university graduates who have recently joined our organization. The "old" pertains to the visits we have received from nearly ten university leaders who are part of our initiative to expand connections with businesses and promote job opportunities.


Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, the task of "maintaining employment and ensuring job security" has been extremely challenging. Faced with the severe situation of the first-ever graduating class of over 10 million students in 2022, vocational schools, university graduates, and enterprises are taking active measures, hoping to provide more job opportunities and a more attractive future for these post-2000 generation individuals.


During this year's National People's Congress and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Zhang Xinghai's proposal of "encouraging young people to work in factories instead of delivering takeout" became a trending topic on Weibo. With a shortage of skilled labor in the technology industry, new manufacturing enterprises in the Greater Bay Area, led by companies such as SMIC, are doing their utmost to retain younger workers born after 2000. They are providing a dual career development path for management and professional skills, as well as more opportunities for training, cross-site development, job experience, and high potential for promotion. Of course, these companies are also offering decent salaries and long-term, specialized job security.


In SMIC's 15 automated, digitized smart factories, the performance of post-2000s new intelligence makers is constantly challenging the perceptions of the SMIC recruitment team.


Simoer's new intelligent manufacturing production line.


Li Changzheng, who graduated from Guangxi Vocational and Technical College's Mechatronics Engineering program, has been with Simer for three years. His career plan is clear: to continuously improve his skills and become an electrical engineer as soon as possible. In just three years, he has made significant progress, becoming proficient in the equipment debugging and assembly work for automation line projects. He has even taken on the role of an "internship mentor" to share his expertise and has grown from a grassroots technician to an electrical technician.


Grassroots technicians are the first label for these post-2000 workers who enter the factory. Last July, Xie Wenqiang graduated from Guangzhou Mechanical and Electrical Technician College with a major in automotive inspection and maintenance. He joined SMOLE as a campus recruiter and became a production automation technician. After entering the company, he found a mentor who was very enthusiastic about teaching and provided hands-on guidance, making him feel a sense of belonging. Although he has only been with the company for a year, he can now independently solve common equipment failures. Engineers all praise Xie for his strong learning ability, quick adaptation, and comparable technical level to senior technicians.


Compared to Li Changzheng and Xie Wenqiang who focus on technical research, Duan Huimin is more willing to explore new directions. She graduated from Hunan University of Finance and Economics in 2019 and became an intern as a production reserve cadre through campus recruitment. In her first month of internship on the production line, she volunteered to take on the "stretching" work and efficiently helped dozens of employees complete production tasks every day. In 2020, she transitioned from "stretching" to become a marketing assistant and is now a trusted assistant to the project manager. She was also awarded the Outstanding Staff of 2021. She said her career plan is in project management and she plans to take the PMP certification next.


More and more post-2000s are continuing their journey in the field of technology. In January 2019, Huang Haimei joined the Engineering Equipment Department of Smore as a campus recruitment intern with the clear goal of becoming a manufacturing engineer. Over the past two years, she has worked hard and achieved the "Excellent Technician" award for two consecutive years. In April 2021, she was successfully promoted to IE Assistant Engineer. Her colleagues say that she is one of the few outstanding examples in the company who has been able to transition from a staff member to a full-time employee within two years.


According to a research report from 58 Hiring Research Institute, the post-95s generation prefer new second- and third-tier cities for employment, while the appeal of traditional first-tier cities has decreased. 54% of employed individuals lean towards careers as livestream hosts and internet celebrities, with less than 10% entering the manufacturing industry.


Compared to their peers, the post-2000 generation working on Sumaor's production line highly value opportunities to work in advanced manufacturing. They do not want to become mere industrial workers like cogs in a wheel. Instead, they aspire to be multifaceted talents, combining their future prospects with advanced technology. They aim to master all the skills involved in the production process and become the cornerstone of China's economy.


Smoore has stated that the company is committed to creating value for society and making all its employees happy. This commitment is reflected in their cultural activities and efforts to create a sense of togetherness within the company. Additionally, Smoore has been investing heavily in automation, information technology, and intelligent development in order to free up its front-line workers. Over the past two years, Smoore has established partnerships with 15 colleges and universities, providing training and support to over 1,000 skilled workers to help the company improve its manufacturing capabilities.


This article is an original piece written by 2FIRSTS Technology Co., Ltd in Shenzhen. The copyright and permission to use belong solely to the company and without authorization, no individual or organization may copy, reproduce, or use the content in any way that violates the company's copyright laws. Offenders will be held legally responsible, and the company reserves the right to pursue legal action against them.


This document has been generated through artificial intelligence translation and is provided solely for the purposes of industry discourse and learning. Please note that the intellectual property rights of the content belong to the original media source or author. Owing to certain limitations in the translation process, there may be discrepancies between the translated text and the original content. We recommend referring to the original source for complete accuracy. In case of any inaccuracies, we invite you to reach out to us with corrections. If you believe any content has infringed upon your rights, please contact us immediately for its removal.

Mexico’s Coahuila State Passes Vape Ban Covering Non-Nicotine Devices and Heated Tobacco Products
Mexico’s Coahuila State Passes Vape Ban Covering Non-Nicotine Devices and Heated Tobacco Products
The Congress of Coahuila in Mexico has approved a ban on the sale, use and promotion of vapes and similar devices, citing their harmful effects on health and the environment.
Mar.31 by 2FIRSTS.ai
West Virginia Senate Backs Vape Tax Increase to Offset Income Tax Cut
West Virginia Senate Backs Vape Tax Increase to Offset Income Tax Cut
The West Virginia Senate approved a 10% personal income tax cut on February 22, 2026, with part of the revenue offset coming from increased excise taxes on vape and e-cigarette products.
News
Feb.23
Australia’s NSW Finds Lower Vaping Rates Among Teenagers Aged 14 to 17
Australia’s NSW Finds Lower Vaping Rates Among Teenagers Aged 14 to 17
A new report from Cancer Council’s Generation Vape research project shows that fewer teenagers in New South Wales are trying vaping after the state government introduced tougher vaping goods laws. Among surveyed NSW teenagers aged 14 to 17, the proportion who had tried vaping fell from 29.6% in April 2024 to 20.1% in October 2025.
Mar.17 by 2FIRSTS.ai
Bulgaria’s Disposable Vape Ban Receives Formal Approval From the European Commission
Bulgaria’s Disposable Vape Ban Receives Formal Approval From the European Commission
The European Commission has formally published its decision approving Bulgarian legislation banning the placing on the market, offering and sale of disposable e-cigarettes.
Mar.17 by 2FIRSTS.ai
22nd Century Positions VLN® Cigarettes for Growth as FDA Considers 0.7 mg/g Nicotine Cap
22nd Century Positions VLN® Cigarettes for Growth as FDA Considers 0.7 mg/g Nicotine Cap
22nd Century Group (Nasdaq: XXII) reported early commercial momentum for its FDA-authorized VLN® very low nicotine cigarettes, distributing approximately 8,800 cartons across 1,700 new U.S. retail outlets in the fourth quarter of 2025, while forecasting expansion to more than 5,000 retail points in 2026.
Business
Feb.24
Special Report | China’s New Five-Year Plan Highlights “Health-First” Strategy, Providing Policy Context for Tobacco Sector
Special Report | China’s New Five-Year Plan Highlights “Health-First” Strategy, Providing Policy Context for Tobacco Sector
China’s 2026 “Two Sessions” reviewed the draft Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan, which proposes implementing a health-first development strategy and strengthening the effectiveness of the Patriotic Health Campaign. Although the document does not address specific industries, this public-health governance framework provides a new policy context for observing the future regulation, product strategies, and market development of China’s tobacco and next-generation nicotine sectors.
Industry Insight
Mar.08