In the map of China's equipment manufacturing industry, North Heavy Industry (short for NHI) has always shouldered the strategic mission of the country with the responsibility of being a "major national equipment". Since the launch of the mixed-ownership reform in 2019, this century-old enterprise has not only achieved a transformation from traditional manufacturing to intelligent manufacturing, but also established a job level system covering the three major sequences of management, technology and skills, enabling every employee to find a suitable growth path.

Over the past six years, the youngest group of middle-level cadres in NHI has emerged from here, a team of chief engineers capable of tackling key technological bottlenecks has been cultivated, and a composite cadre team that is both market-savvy and management - skilled has been forged. When the "talent dividend" has become a proposition of The Times, NHI has given a resounding answer through institutional innovation and cultural reconstruction.

Skill Tempering

The Forging Furnace of Modern Artisans

On April 10th, in the machining workshop of the major components branch of NHI, in front of the 13-meter CNC gantry milling center, Mr Wang Kai was skillfully operating on the disply screen. The high-end machine lathe was processing the sintering machine trolley, which will be applied in the sintering machine project of Dazhou Steel plant. The six years of mixed-ownership reform have also been six years of rapid growth for him. From being the main force in CNC machine lathe, completing over a hundred parts production and processing tasks for dozens of key projects such as Shenyang TBM and Fangda Carbon, he has been promoted to senior technician, become a key member of the workshop, been awarded the title of "Youth Model", and been elected as an outstanding Communist Party member... Wang Kai has demonstrated a wonderful life.

"Stepping into NHI meaned entering a fast-growing talent channel!" Mr Wang Kai said with deep feeling. There were many employees in NHI who share the same feelings as Wang Kai.

Since the mixed-ownership reform, NHI has introduced a series of policies centered on the cultivation of front-line employees, such as school-enterprise cooperation order classes, the establishment of a "Master craftsman" selection mechanism, the implementation of a new enterprise apprenticeship training system, and the regular holding of various training courses and on-site technical exchange meetings, etc. At the same time, on the grand stage of the enterprise, more practical opportunities were provided for employees to enhance their skills, allowing skilled talents to enjoy the same professional honor as management cadres, and enabling employees to gain something every day and make progress every year.

Over the past six years, more than 500 new employees, including students from the order class, have entered the gates of Northern Heavy Industry. After several years of training, these employees have quickly become the backbone of the enterprise and taken on the responsibility of development.

In the manufacturing of a TBM-tunnel boring machine for a domestic pumped storage project, the "middle shield wiring assembly method" proposed by the master craftsman Mr Li Chen, which significantly shortened the assembly cycle of this "steel giant".

Technological Peak

Powerful Drive of the Innovation Engine

In the early spring of 2025, when Mr Zhang Jianmin, the chief welding process engineer, received the appointment letter from NHI chairman, the "veteran" who had been fighting on the technical front for 20 years had moist eyes. As one of the 26 newly appointed chief engineers, he had led the formation of a cross-departmental research team and currently is making a leap towards the world-class level of ultra-thick plate welding technology.

At NHI, there is a group of outstanding individuals like Zhang Jianmin who are dedicated to their professional fields. They concentrated wholeheartedly while providing strong technical support for the company's development, have also achieved their own ideals. In 2024, Zhang Jianmin focused on technological innovation, participating in processes improvement, technological innovation, and project evaluation. He also took part in the research and development of multiple projects that filled domestic gaps for the enterprise, achieving outstanding results. Zhang Jianmin said, "Concentrating on doing the work what you love is a kind of happiness, and this happiness cannot be separated from the NHI's recognition of people and strong support."

A fully motivating scientific and technological innovation ecosystem was establish to enable the vast number of scientific and technological personnel to actively and wholeheartedly devote themselves. Such as the "Chief Engineer Responsibility System" is introduced to break the traditional job grade barriers. Technical backbones can allocate resources based on project requirements, and the innovation achievements will be directly linked to the revenue sharing. In addition, multiple policies for scientific and technological innovation have been implemented with great care to support the innovation of scientific and technological personnel. It has formed an innovative momentum flowing like a great river and cultivated a group of outstanding talents.

Manage Transformation

Fertile Ground For The Growth of leading talents

Entering the production command center, 35-year-old director Chen Liang is in front of the digital screen, coordinating the operation of the entire company. From a technician to the youngest middle-level manager in the company, the secret to his three-level leap in six years lies in his daily work log of more than 12 hours: The morning meeting deployed the capacity optimization plan, the noon meeting coordinated the overseas supply chain, and the late night meeting reviewed the intelligent production scheduling system process.

Six years after the mixed-ownership reform, there have been dozens of young managers like Chen Liang who are courageous in taking on responsibilities, proactive and promoted exceptionally. They not only play a core role in key positions at Northern Heavy Industry, but also serve as a barometer for talent growth, igniting the passion of all employees in the company to strive.

Through breaking the traditional personnel system that values academic qualifications, seniority and professional titles, with the principle “capable rise, the mediocre step aside and the incompetent fall”, NHI has provided a stage for employees who want to do things, dare to do things and are capable of doing things to showcase themselves and realize their self-worth... The excellent personnel mechanism has awakened the "dormant" power within people and cultivated a group of outstanding individuals.

From the sparks flying in the workshop to the data flowing in the laboratory, from the strategic planning of the project command center to the verbal sparring at the international exhibition, with six years of mixed-ownership reform practice, NHI has written an era answer sheet of strengthening the enterprise with talents. When Chen Liang led his team to strive to complete the core tasks of the national major scientific facilities, when the shield machine welded by Zhang Jianmin crossed through the Pearl River Tunnel, and when outstanding managers like Wu Haibo were building intelligent factories, these growth stories illustrated that the essence of an outstanding enterprise is an amplifier of the value of talents.