Abstract: Purple-collar talent combines frontline production capabilities with knowledge innovation skills, making them a vital force in driving industrial transformation. While China has introduced three categories of policies to cultivate such talent, three major shortcomings remain: fragmented policies, limited coverage of school-enterprise collaboration projects, and insufficient training incentives. In response, this article proposes four recommendations based on the current training landscape: break down information silos by establishing an information platform spanning ministries—regions—industries; stimulate market demand to provide ample employment opportunities for purple-collar talent; invigorate enterprises by increasing their participation in purple-collar talent development; and clarify the criteria for recognizing “purple-collar” talent, using long-term rather than short-term incentives to guide their professional transition.
