Chinese construction worker becomes safety supervisor after earning 13 certificates

(ECNS) -- A 51-year-old construction worker from central China has risen from a day laborer to a safety supervisor overseeing more than 40 construction sites after earning 13 professional certificates over nine years.

Su Xiaofeng, from Shangqiu in Henan province, left his hometown for Hangzhou in Zhejiang province nine years ago to work in construction.

At the time, his parents were elderly and his three daughters were at school. His wife stayed in Henan to care for the family while he worked in Hangzhou.

He started as a day laborer earning 100 yuan (about $14.62) per day, doing tasks such as moving bricks, pumping water and clearing rubbish. Unwilling to remain a laborer all his life, he began studying on his phone with earphones after work, often late into the night.

In 2018, Su obtained an electrician's certificate for construction work, increasing his monthly income from about 4,000 yuan to 7,500 yuan.

He later set his sights on becoming a construction safety officer, a role that requires a certification exam. To qualify for the exam, he needed a secondary vocational diploma, despite having left school after the eighth grade.

In 2020, Su earned the diploma and obtained a safety production qualification certificate. He initially failed to secure a safety officer role due to limited practical experience, but spent six months learning on job sites before successfully applying for the position.

In 2023, he joined his current safety technology service company and now works as a safety supervisor responsible for more than 40 construction sites.

Over the years, Su has earned 13 certificates, including construction electrician, second-class construction engineer and supervision engineer. He is expected to receive a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the Open University of China in June and is preparing for the certified safety engineer exam in October.

Since 2022, Su has encouraged 32 fellow villagers from Henan to pursue technical skills and certifications. Many have followed his path - obtaining diplomas and certificates and becoming safety management personnel in construction.

Su said the sector is shifting toward more service-oriented projects, and he hopes to be part of that transition.

(By Zhang Dongfang)