Ningbo in East China's Zhejiang province had had 2.08 million skilled workers, of which nearly 700,000 – or over 30 percent - were highly skilled as of October, official statistics show.

The strong results can be primarily attributed to sustained efforts by the city to cultivate skilled workers.

Ningbo is currently home to 340-plus private vocational training agencies offering training to more than 200,000 people on an annual basis.

Eighteen vocational technical institutes in the city have reached partnerships with 700-plus companies to provide apprenticeship programs for students, and more than 18,000 people have in the past three years benefited from the program.

Ningbo has also built 115 professional workshops, which have offered training to nearly 20,000 people, obtained 2,003 invention patents, and helped companies make around 7,500 technological breakthroughs that have generated 6.5 billion yuan ($928.57 million) in economic gains.

A myriad of incentives rolled out by authorities have also increased the city's attractiveness to talent.

To date, five highly-skilled workers have been granted prizes of 600,000 yuan after being honored as excellent Ningbo talent. People who meet certain requirements are also eligible to apply for a monthly subsidy of up to 1,000 yuan for three years in a row.