Every morning, as office workers rush to their workplaces, JD.com rider Zhu Guanlong also mounts his electric bike, navigating through the streets and alleys of the old city. The Guangzhou Shawan area, where he delivers most frequently, is densely populated with courier and food delivery personnel. Having worked full-time in food delivery for three to four years, a question often lingers in his mind and the minds of his peers: what else can they do in the future? As early as 2019, a leading food delivery platform's employment report indicated that provinces with higher GDP generally had a relatively larger number of riders, with Guangdong ranking first nationally. Beyond their busy work schedules, riders harbor a strong desire for their own career development and skill enhancement.

To address issues faced by workers in new employment forms, such as unclear career paths, insufficient skill training, and difficulties in pursuing further education, the Guangdong Provincial Department of Education and JD.com signed a strategic cooperation agreement on December 11th, leading to the inauguration of the Modern Rider Academy in Guangzhou. As the nation's first such institution, it represents a significant upgrade in terms of positioning, teaching methods, training resources, and coverage. On that day, 20 riders of varying ages, clad in JD.com's red uniforms, attended trial classes on subjects like drones and safety education in a classroom at the Logistics School of Guangzhou Vocational and Technical University, with Zhu Guanlong among them.

"The work of food delivery can be quite monotonous and repetitive," Zhu Guanlong坦言 to a reporter. "Now, being exposed to new courses like drones and e-commerce has sparked my interest in learning. I hope to continuously improve my professional and social skills, opening up new directions for my career development." This sentiment is shared by many riders. It is understood that the Modern Rider Academy imposes no age or academic qualification restrictions for enrollment and offers a flexible and diverse training system. Over the next three years, its skill training programs are expected to cover all 100,000+ full-time riders and frontline delivery personnel working for JD.com (including Deppon and Kuayue) in Guangdong. In the future, their fast-paced careers could potentially branch into different professional directions.

Guangdong is once again taking the lead. From the "Guiding Opinions on Safeguarding the Labor Security Rights and Interests of Workers in New Forms of Employment" to the "Guiding Opinions on Carrying out Large-Scale Vocational Skills Enhancement Training Actions," the state has placed increasing emphasis on strengthening the protection of rights for workers in new employment forms. Building an education system that serves lifelong learning for all and improving public education services for new employment groups are crucial pathways. In recent years, driven by policy, many regions across China have launched training and education programs specifically for riders, couriers, and other workers in new employment forms, often collectively referred to as "Rider Academies," "Delivery Personnel Colleges," or "Knight Institutes."

Guangdong aims to fully establish itself as a leading education province and a learning society by 2035. The recently issued suggestions for Guangdong's 15th Five-Year Plan propose building a learning society that supports lifelong learning. Scholars point out that for Guangdong to lead in accelerating the construction of a lifelong education system, it must use substantial and effective measures to overcome bottlenecks in top-level design, service platforms, educational supply, and social support. The establishment of the Modern Rider Academy is precisely such a "substantial and effective measure" by Guangdong to promote the healthy development of new employment forms and build a modern vocational education system that is "accessible to all and serves lifelong learning."

As the main training base, Guangzhou Vocational and Technical University, which was upgraded to a vocational undergraduate institution this year, has collaborated with over 13 leading chain enterprises, sub-chain leaders, and regional industry giants to establish distinctive industry colleges, focusing on advanced manufacturing, new-generation information technology, and modern services. The university has a solid existing cooperative foundation with JD.com. In the future, they will jointly offer courses, build industry-education integration bases, and create a new model for university-enterprise cooperation. Using the Rider Academy as a starting point, JD.com will further promote its "71583" university-enterprise cooperation special plan, deepening its integration with Guangdong's education sector, which also stems from its practical needs for deep roots in the Greater Bay Area.

Creating more possibilities for fast-paced careers. On the day the Modern Rider Academy was inaugurated, 20 JD.com riders were the first to experience it. They sat in a classroom at the university's Logistics School, where a Y3 series drone was placed on the lectern as an instructor explained its performance. Zhu Guanlong found this particularly fascinating and became increasingly engrossed. He mentioned that his previous university studies were quite general, and he hopes the Rider Academy will offer more courses related to innovative professions, such as drone delivery, AI, e-commerce, and social media. "Perhaps after learning about drones, I could smoothly transition to a new role, earn a higher income, meet more people, which would completely change my future development," he said.

The curriculum design is a major highlight of the Modern Rider Academy. In addition to common courses found in other rider academies, such as safety, psychology, and basic English, it will offer advanced skill training in areas like intelligent dispatch system operation, basic maintenance of unmanned delivery equipment, green delivery practices, and warehouse management实务. It will also teach the application of new technologies in fields like drone delivery and smart logistics. A JD.com representative stated that the "modern" aspect of the academy should reflect cutting-edge and forward-looking characteristics, integrating AI large model technology and various new scenarios to help eligible riders enhance their job value.

Guo Shuzhao shares this sense of anticipation. At 40 years old, he has been in the delivery industry for seven or eight years and is also very interested in the drone course. His thoughts are straightforward: "Working with drones is also an option. It wouldn't be as physically demanding as running around all day. Transitioning from being a rider to this field would still be a contribution to the delivery industry." Outside of work, Guo Shuzhao has children and family responsibilities. He hopes to continue making deliveries during the day and use his evenings for self-improvement. It is reported that to align with riders' work patterns, lifestyles, and personal development needs, the Modern Rider Academy will establish flexible training systems including short-term, long-term, and targeted programs.

Notably, the Modern Rider Academy will also establish a "Rider Rights and Development Research Center" to conduct research on industry policies and standards, serving a "think tank" function. This is another distinguishing feature setting it apart from existing rider academies, as it directly addresses the challenges of protecting the rights and interests of workers in new business formats, aiming to develop replicable industry solutions. To give "delivery personnel" more promising development prospects, the Modern Rider Academy is expected to eventually cover all full-time riders and frontline personnel working for JD.com (including Deppon and Kuayue) in Guangdong. Zhu Guanlong, Guo Shuzhao, and their 100,000 peers are set to benefit. Guangdong is committed to making this an innovative benchmark in its journey to becoming a leading education province, helping to broaden the career paths for new employment groups.