In the Jiangnan Science and Technology Park of Dianjun District, Yichang City, Hubei Province, a spacious office area houses hundreds of neatly arranged computers. On the screens, some display two gray robots jumping, others show abstract road scenes, and some play video footage. A young person sits at each computer, clicking a mouse and leaving annotation marks on the screen. Yang Tao walks slowly through the rows of computers, pausing occasionally to offer technical guidance to the younger employees. Yang Tao, 36, transitioned from an electrician to a data annotator from scratch in 2023, and in less than three years, he has become a project manager at Hubei Yichang Dexingtianxia Huichuang Big Data Co., Ltd.
"Yichang's chemical industry is well-developed. I started as an electrician at a chemical company and worked there for nearly 10 years," Yang Tao said. When the company relocated in 2018, he chose not to follow it, opting to stay in Dianjun District, his hometown, to better care for his family. In the following years, Yang tried working in other industries but struggled to achieve stable employment. As Yichang's emerging industries—such as new energy, new materials, and the digital economy—rapidly developed, Yang Tao's career options gained new opportunities. Today, big data and computing power have become one of Yichang's four leading industries with a trillion-yuan scale. The city has also established Hubei Province's largest integrated data center cluster for storage and computing.
The demand for labor in emerging fields is growing, and jobs in the digital economy are increasing rapidly. Meanwhile, Yichang has built a grassroots employment service network centered on township (street) and village (community) staff, developed the Yichang Digital and Intelligent Human Resources and Social Security Public Service Platform, and established a doorstep employment service system. Online, job information is pushed in real-time; offline, special job fairs are held regularly, with targeted employment assistance for groups like zero-employment families and landless farmers.
Communities serve as the "last mile" for employment services. Lijiahe Community in Dianjun District, where Yang Tao lives, is a resettlement area for villagers whose land was requisitioned, creating a strong demand for jobs. The community has designated a dedicated human resources and social security officer who conducts routine home visits to fully understand residents' employment intentions. Leveraging resources from multiple departments—including human resources, economy and information technology, and industrial parks—the community actively connects businesses in need of workers with job seekers, delivering opportunities to residents' doorsteps. With Yang Tao's father deceased and his mother a farmer, the community has been closely monitoring his employment situation.
In early 2023, the community's human resources officer informed Yang Tao's mother about a recruitment opportunity: the Central China Artificial Intelligence Data Annotation Center, located in Dianjun District, was hiring data annotators. "What is a data annotator? Is it reliable?" his mother asked. "The digital industry is a sunrise industry. I've heard about this kind of work, and I want to give it a try!" Yang Tao was eager to seize this opportunity. Soon after, Yang Tao joined the newly launched Central China Artificial Intelligence Data Annotation Center, underwent pre-employment skills training, and later began working at Dexingtianxia Company within the center. "The trainers all come from the frontlines of the industry, and the learning content is highly practical. After passing the training, you can directly secure a job," Yang Tao said.
In the Dianjun District Jiangnan Science and Technology Park, training institutions for data annotators and AI trainers are integrated into the facility. Trainees learn data annotation in classrooms and practice operating robotic arms in labs. Training leads directly to employment, and graduation guarantees a job. Yichang, focusing on new occupations and business forms, guides designated training institutions to adjust their programs based on the demands of new jobs. Dianjun District closely monitors the digital industry, dispatching staff to survey over 100 key enterprises in the area to understand their labor needs. It then conducts specialized training in 16 new fields, including AI trainers and drone operators. Adopting a model of "business orders plus student self-selection plus industry-education integration," the district coordinates training schools to form "order classes" with institutions like the Central China AI Data Annotation Center. Trainees like Yang Tao can find employment once they complete their training.
"In emerging fields, maintaining a learning ability and genuine interest is crucial for doing the job well," Yang Tao stated. "The AI field constantly introduces new application scenarios that require data annotation. We must keep learning to keep up with the industry's rapid progress." Thanks to his strong interest in AI and persistent research spirit, Yang Tao grew quickly, advancing from an ordinary annotator to a project supervisor and, last year, to a project manager. "A new industry means greater room for growth. Aligning your career with the latest trends in industrial development can lead to a better future," Yang Tao noted. Since the beginning of this year, the Central China AI Data Annotation Center has hired 300 new employees and conducted project-based training for 500 people in areas like AI training, achieving a 90% pass rate.
By establishing an industry-employment coordination mechanism, Yichang focuses on key manufacturing sectors such as green chemicals, new materials, and new energy. It is promoting the expansion of chemical new materials into high-end areas like new energy battery materials and electronic chemicals. With the vigorous growth of new productive forces like the low-carbon economy and low-altitude economy, employment capacity in emerging fields has significantly expanded. Since the start of this year, Yichang has posted over 23,000 positions in emerging sectors and absorbed 15,000 workers.
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