Guangling, the main urban area of Yangzhou—a UNESCO-recognized "City of Gastronomy"—is dotted with coffee shops of all sizes, attracting a growing number of professionals and skilled workers as the coffee industry rapidly expands. To leverage "small coffee" for "big economic impact" and drive industrial upgrades through craftsmanship, the Guangling District Trade Union has implemented a series of measures.
These include establishing an industry trade union federation, setting up talent incubation bases, organizing vocational skills competitions, and building a rights protection system. This approach integrates "talent + industry + IP" to accelerate the healthy growth of the coffee sector.
From small independent cafés to mid-sized chains and large-scale coffee factories, Guangling has become a hub for coffee businesses. Zhongfu Biotechnology Co., Ltd., located in Guangling’s Food Industrial Park, operates "Xiaoman Coffee," now a leading specialty coffee brand in China. The district has hosted over 20 coffee-themed events, drawing hundreds of thousands of participants.
In July, the Guangling District Trade Union, along with the Human Resources and Social Security Bureau and the Food Industrial Park Management Committee, formed the Guangling Coffee Industry Trade Union Federation. Initially, 34 member companies and 151 representatives joined to advocate for the sector.
Last month, the Trade Union and the Human Resources Bureau co-hosted the 2025 Guangling "Xiaoman Cup" Barista Skills Competition. Top performers received cash prizes, while the top 50% in both theory and practice were awarded intermediate vocational skill certificates. These initiatives motivate professionals to enhance their skills, aligning with the "Linghao Barista" program and the "talent + industry + IP" strategy to drive industrial and talent development.
To address the shortage of professional baristas—a bottleneck for the industry—the Guangling Trade Union partnered with vocational institutions like Jiangsu Tourism College and Yangzhou Life Science School to establish the Yangzhou New Food Industry Chain Artisan College (preparatory) Barista Talent Incubation Base. This platform focuses on skill training, R&D, industrial services, and cultural promotion, cultivating high-quality baristas to sustain the local coffee industry.
The Trade Union also promotes the "coffee +" model to expand the sector’s social impact. At events like the 2025 Jiangsu Union Job Fair and Guangling’s cultural tourism promotions, the Coffee Industry Trade Union Federation engages the public through tastings and latte art demonstrations, fostering a mature consumer market and fertile ground for industry growth.
As the industry’s influence grows and the consumer market matures, the Trade Union gains more opportunities to enhance its services and social value. A Guangling Trade Union representative emphasized that worker satisfaction and career prospects are key to boosting the industry’s appeal. Only through mutual support between unions and industrial development can long-term stability be achieved. Moving forward, the Union will continue exploring new service models to set a "Guangling example" for empowering regional economic growth.
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