Roles in life sciences remain viable career opportunities for young Chinese workers

Although China’s jobs market has had to deal with some structural changes and to address some special needs to support continued job creation in recent years, prospects for growth remain optimistic as the government and foreign investors come together to support new opportunities. In 2024 alone, the Chinese economy will see 11+ million young students graduate and enter the labour market and so the government has put in place new plans to boost support for training for, and transitioning into, first-time professional roles.

Investment in key areas like industrial upgrading and tech innovation is helping drive creation of new roles in areas such as natural and life sciences, AI, big data and smart manufacturing. Aware of this market evolution and in light of Gi Group Holding’s recent announcement of the launch of our new Gi Life Sciences division, I wanted to spend some time in this article highlighting what future roles in the sciences, specifically life sciences, will look like in China in this and coming years.

Foreign investment supports job growth

Although some sources have noted a slight stalling in life science roles in recent years, new investment in this sector in China offers a glimmer of hope. Hong Kong is a prime example of where foreign investment is helping support jobs growth. In fact, 45 life science-technology companies have invested over 832 million USD in the city and will reportedly create roughly 3,200 new jobs for the local economy.

What’s driving interest in Life Sciences work in China

Local officials in Hong Kong and, in some cases, elsewhere in China highlight talent infrastructure as a critical driver of investment in life sciences business development. Potential employers note that the Chinese market has cutting-edge research structures, strong government policy support, fundraising opportunities (Hong Kong is currently the world’s second largest biotech fundraising venue) and a very diverse talent pool. Hong Kong’s local government in particular has earmarked funds to attract life sciences companies to the area while also supporting those businesses' long-term operations. Support for everything from clinical trials work, manufacturing and also sales and marketing are valuable to current and future investors. This backing is getting noticed by companies who wish to grow on the Chinese market and across Asia in general. Of the mass of funds flowing into the Hong Kong area and Greater China, the life science-focused investments are diverse in scope. They involve businesses active in spaces such as therapeutics (accounting for 60% of new businesses), which covers areas like pharmaceuticals, advanced therapies and biologics. This is promising for the delivery of new roles for creating novel drugs and cutting-edge medical devices.

Support for a strong, skilled workforce will continue

The Chinese government has stated that it will continue to support a better skilled workforce from among new graduates seeking work in industry and manufacturing roles. In this area, upskilling and reskilling will centre around use of smart technologies, eco-friendly operations and future-facing business. The government specifically mentions quantum technology and life sciences as priority industry fields. As part of these efforts, the government points out that innovation and job creation are priority indicators for potential investment support. Startups, SMEs and corporations as well will receive government funds, provided their investments contribute to viable, long-term sustainable jobs. Future-looking career planning even includes work with the national university structure in China to align majors and vo-tech training to support skills demands from evolving industry employer needs. The government provided funding for advanced skills training for 18 million people in 2023, which eventually matched programme graduates to top roles in smart manufacturing and services.

Moving forward, I am keen to watch market development in the life sciences in China and see how our local teams can provide qualified, expert support for employers in the country seeking top-level, qualified talent (job candidates). I believe with our new division Gi Life Sciences we can become a trusted partner to Chinese businesses of all sizes and guide them in staffing and hiring for professional roles that range from operational workers and supporting functions on to scientific professionals. We have so much to offer our business partners and job seekers in China. So I believe the remainder of this year will be an exciting moment in helping match qualified Chinese talent with roles in the Life Sciences that will change their lives.