Shanghai Artisan College recently kicked off the seventh session of its "Craftsmanship Academy" alongside the third "Craftsman Degree Program", marking a significant step in workforce development. This public welfare initiative, jointly established by the Shanghai Federation of Trade Unions and Shanghai Open University, has undergone a major upgrade this year with the theme "My Date with AI", making it freely accessible to workers across all industries in the city.

The launch comes at a critical time as the "Shanghai Catalogue of Urgently Needed High-Skill Talents (2026 Edition)" took effect in August, officially listing AI trainer positions. This reflects the city's growing demand for digitally proficient, multi-skilled professionals. In response, Shanghai Open University has strategically aligned its resources in both degree and non-degree education to address pressing industry needs, delivering tailored AI talent development programs through the Craftsmanship Academy and Craftsman Degree Program.

The Craftsmanship Academy offers introductory courses on Artificial Intelligence general knowledge, transforming cutting-edge content such as large model applications and AI role enhancement into accessible public welfare teaching materials. This approach ensures workers from diverse industries and technical backgrounds can engage with new digital technologies without facing prohibitive learning barriers.

For technical professionals seeking deeper expertise, the Craftsman Degree Program provides systematic academic education in AI and Mechanical and Electronic Engineering. Huang Qiantao, a Peking University master's graduate who has returned to the classroom, praised the program's practical approach: "The Craftsman Degree Program's hands-on research model for tackling workplace 'bottleneck' challenges deeply attracted me. This is exactly the support I need in my current work."