There is a huge talent gap, and the car industry continues to stage "grabbing battles"——
How to break the "talent shortage" of new energy vehicles
In the first seven months, sales have surged by 200% year-on-year, sodium-ion batteries have made major breakthroughs, and Tesla has significantly reduced prices... Recently, new energy vehicles have been frequently searched in various ways and continue to attract the attention of the society.
From the earliest "green card" few people care about, to now frequently occupy the C position, new energy vehicles ushered in a bright moment.
However, looking forward to the future, there are still many shortcomings in my country's new energy automobile industry that need to be filled, and the lack of talent is one of them.
In recent years, car companies have continued to stage "grabs for people", and job demand has continued to increase.
Although companies do not hesitate to grab people with salary increases, they often lament that they "cannot find the right people."
This increasingly serious "talent shortage" on the one hand reflects the prosperity and development of the new energy automobile industry, on the other hand, it also promotes the innovation and reform of the talent training model in colleges and universities.
Misplacement: IT talents don’t understand cars, vehicle majors don’t understand computers
In July this year, Cheng Renjie, a graduate of South China University of Technology, ushered in a new stage in his life.
Seven years ago, as a senior "car fan", he was admitted to the South China University of Technology as a vehicle engineering major; 7 years later, he graduated with a master's degree and successfully joined Xiaopeng Motors.
"The future development trend of new energy vehicles is very good. I hope I can become an excellent engineer." Cheng Renjie is full of confidence in the future.
If a few years ago, many people still held a wait-and-see attitude towards new energy vehicles, more and more people now say that compared with traditional gasoline vehicles, "new energy is really fragrant."
Historically, coal-fired steam engine trains and oil-fired internal combustion engine vehicles led the energy revolution.
At present, new energy intelligent electric vehicles are leading a new round of energy revolution characterized by green and intelligent. The "new four modernizations" such as electrification, intelligence, connectivity, and sharing are becoming the development of the automotive industry. New Direction.
In recent years, the country’s emphasis on the vehicle industry has continued to increase: In October 2010, the State Council’s "Decision on Accelerating the Cultivation and Development of Strategic Emerging Industries" listed "new energy vehicles" as one of the country’s seven strategic emerging industries; 2020 In February, the 11 ministries and commissions of the State Council jointly issued the "Smart Vehicle Innovation Development Strategy", proposing that "China's standard smart vehicle system will be fully completed and more complete by 2035"; in November 2020, the "New Energy Vehicle Industry Development Plan ( 2021-2035)” stated that “by 2025, the sales of new energy vehicles and new vehicles will reach about 20% of the total sales of new vehicles.” Electricity".
This is not only the only way for my country to move from being a major automobile country to a powerful automobile country, but also a strategic measure to tackle climate change and promote green development.
With the introduction of relevant policies, new energy vehicles have accelerated into the fast lane of development.
At present, my country's new energy vehicle production accounts for more than half of the world. While the output is growing steadily, talents in the field of new energy vehicles have also become the "sweet and pastry" in the recruitment market.
According to data from a recruitment platform, in the first quarter of 2021, new energy vehicles have become one of the fastest-growing fields among new positions. The demand for autonomous driving research and development, smart cockpit design and other positions has nearly doubled year-on-year.
However, the 2020 "Intelligent and Connected Automobile Industry Talent Demand Forecast Report" also pointed out that the stock of intelligent and connected automobile technical talents in 2025 is expected to be only 72,000, while the net talent gap in this field that year was as high as 37,000.
"Currently, there are serious problems in the talent structure of the new energy automobile industry. Talents with IT backgrounds do not understand vehicle system engineering, and it is difficult for vehicle professionals to integrate electronic information and computer science. Intelligent networked talents need the deep integration of these knowledge." Tsinghua University Li Jianqiu, Dean of the School of Vehicles and Transportation, pointed out.
"Vehicles have gradually transformed from traditional mechanical products to a comprehensive intelligent mobile space and transportation system integrating machinery, electronics, information communication, computer science, energy and power, transportation, materials and many other fields." Li Jianqiu said, The knowledge system of intelligent electric vehicles is being re-established, and its interdisciplinary breadth and depth of integration are rapidly expanding, and vehicle engineering disciplines also need to be transformed into a new stage of development.
Reconstruction: Interdisciplinary integration of multiple disciplines, new positioning of the intelligent vehicle profession
From oil trucks to trams, from hands-on assembly to a small assembly, to coordinating the entire car... Hu Jiayi, a direct Ph.D student from the School of Vehicles and Transportation, Tsinghua University, has been participating in the Formula Student competition as an undergraduate, and has experienced from theory to practice. Complete exercise.
"My major is power engineering and engineering thermophysics, but my topics will involve system modeling and control, machinery, motors, etc." In Hu Jiayi's view, the wave of electrification and intelligence has greatly enriched the vehicle discipline The connotation makes it a typical interdisciplinary subject.
Regarding the future of the new energy industry, Hu Jiayi said, "There are many development opportunities and good employment prospects."
However, for some traditional fresh graduates, due to the lack of matching knowledge structure and job requirements, jobs that should have been handy have become "unknown where to start" and even require a lot of time to learn and adapt.
Some companies said that through theoretical course training, OJT (On the Job Training) training and other methods, it usually takes 1 to 2 years for fresh graduates to be familiar with the basic knowledge of the "new four modernizations" and can independently undertake part of the tests in 3 to 5 years. And programming, it takes 8 to 10 years to become a mature talent with rich experience.
Even in-house talents with certain related professional backgrounds need a certain professional growth period, and it is difficult to be directly qualified for key positions such as core algorithms and control from the beginning.
Li Jianqiu said bluntly that the problem should be solved from the source of the university training system.
"It is necessary to clarify the new positioning of the multi-disciplinary cross-integration of smart electric vehicles in the new era, and thus re-construct a cross-integrated curriculum system and talent training program, so that the smart electric vehicle profession has sufficient flexibility to select various courses required by the industry. And formulate appropriate training goals." He said.
In recent years, the "Intelligent Vehicle Engineering" major has been newly established in the "Undergraduate Majors Catalogue of Ordinary Colleges and Universities" formulated by the Ministry of Education. Some domestic colleges and universities have successively adjusted the vehicle engineering major and curriculum system to explore better training programs.
In order to enhance students’ interest and ability to engage in new energy vehicle technology research and development, the School of Vehicles and Transportation of Tsinghua University offers a seminar "Automobile Development and Energy Environment" for undergraduate freshmen. Ouyang Ming, an expert in the field of new energy vehicles, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and a professor at Tsinghua University Gao gives lectures.
Focusing on hot topics, famous teachers, and in-depth seminars, this course has become a star course that students have passed on by word of mouth.
After 2016, Beijing Institute of Technology has also set up modules for new energy vehicles and intelligent networked vehicles in elective courses for juniors, seniors, and seniors to take elective courses after completing professional compulsory courses; starting in 2020, the basic professional courses will be reformed. Put the knowledge of new energy vehicles into basic courses such as automobile technology, automobile theory, and automobile structure.
“Students are exposed to battery structure when learning automobile structure, electronic control knowledge when learning automobile theory, and processing technology of power module when learning technology. In this way, students will develop from a purely mechanical orientation to a composite direction, and gradually improve the students. The knowledge structure of the industry.” said Lin Cheng, the responsible professor of Vehicle Engineering at the School of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology.
In South China University of Technology, how to make a good disciplinary advantage "combined boxing" has become a key breakthrough in cultivating relevant talents in the field of new energy vehicles.
According to Zhang Xichun, Secretary of the Party Committee of South China University of Technology, the school adheres to the construction idea of “comprehensive planning, highlighting the key points, promoting intersection, forming characteristics, optimizing structure, and coordinating development”. Fusion.
In South China University of Technology, cutting-edge scientific research platforms such as the 3D printing laboratory, laser cutting laboratory, and robotics laboratory attract students from all grades and majors to study and research.
In addition, the school has successively established interdisciplinary pilot classes such as industrial design (information and interaction design) experimental classes, established projects to build artificial intelligence, big data technology and other minor majors, and relied on the "future innovation laboratory" to build a multi-disciplinary cross-integrated interdisciplinary platform.
Transformation: Focusing on the "stuck neck" problem, in-depth integration of production, education and research is required
In the winter of 2019, in Hailar, Inner Mongolia, a team from Beijing Institute of Technology drove towards a lake area deep in the Hulunbuir grassland in the dark.
They have a heavy responsibility-are the batteries of the new energy electric vehicles that will be used in the Winter Olympics venues durable in low-temperature environments?
The experimental data will give the answer.
"Cryogenic temperature is one of the challenges faced by electric vehicle technology. Everyone always says that the range of electric vehicles in the north will be halved, and there will be'mileage anxiety'. If we can rely on hosting the Winter Olympics to solve this problem, we can not only promote Industry development can also benefit consumers." Tian Yu, a Ph.D. student in Vehicle Engineering at the School of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, and his classmates felt very energetic. Happy."
Combining the key R&D projects of the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission project, the school will take the lead to refine and tackle the technical problems in the production and R&D of the enterprise, and then the enterprise will engineering and industrialize the research results. Become a typical practice mode of combining production, teaching and research.
In the practice of talent cultivation in recent years, through the undergraduate entrepreneurship practice courses, students can follow the team to participate in the project at the undergraduate level, and refine scientific research problems in each experiment.
"The demand for talents in the automobile industry is multi-level. For undergraduates, it emphasizes the comprehensiveness of knowledge base, for graduate students, it emphasizes the professionalism above comprehensiveness, and for scientific and technological innovation, science and technology management and science and technology strategy talents, it puts more emphasis on originality. Innovative ability, forward-looking thinking and strategic thinking. The deep integration of industry, university and research will provide innovation driving force for the development of the industry, and promote the high-level and comprehensive development of vehicle talents." Li Jianqiu said that Tsinghua School of Vehicle and Transportation encourages tutors to guide doctoral students to participate in practical engineering Project, "Feng Xuning, a doctoral student under the guidance of Academician Ouyang Minggao, won the first prize of the China Automotive Industry Technology Invention Award as the sixth complete person during his Ph. ) The design and control of electromechanical system is a difficult problem of "stuck neck", and he won the second prize of National Science and Technology Progress Award as the sixth completion person."
At the New Energy Smart Car Ecological Summit Forum held in December 2020, Gao Song, President of South China University of Technology, said in a speech that first-class research universities should devote themselves to cultivating “people who can lead the future”, among which, strengthen cross-industry and cooperation , It is very important to establish a collaborative education mechanism.
In recent years, South China University of Technology’s vehicle engineering and other majors have implemented the "five-dimensional integration" school-enterprise collaborative talent training model. Guangzhou Automobile Group, Dongfeng Nissan, Yiwei Lithium Energy and other companies have implemented training programs, classroom teaching, graduation design, formula competition, Five dimensions, including the evaluation of graduate quality, are deeply involved in the whole process of student training.
In addition, the school has successively established a national engineering practice education center with Guangzhou Automobile, and has established a provincial-level off-campus teaching practice platform with Guangzhou Mingluo Automotive Equipment Co., Ltd. to provide students with a high-level practice education platform.
While industry experts are "walking in", teachers from South China University of Technology are also leading the scientific research team and innovative achievements to "go out" to solve industry problems: In order to promote the development of ultra-precision intelligent manufacturing technology for power batteries, Wu Xianming Institute of Intelligent Engineering and power battery manufacturing The company Ningde Times has carried out in-depth cooperation in the field of new energy vehicle power batteries, and the current technological achievements have been applied to the production of new generation power batteries; for the power system of new energy vehicles, the School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering and BYD have cooperated to develop high-efficiency and energy-saving hybrid projects. The power engine has been installed on BYD’s Tang, Song Pro, Qin 100 and other dynasty series dual-mode models; in response to the heat dissipation problem of battery modules, the school and Zhongshan Dayang Electric have jointly carried out industrialization research and development, and proposed heat transfer technology based on high-efficiency phase change heat pipes. The company’s cooling solutions and related products have increased the output value of RMB 972,476,800 for the company.
The in-depth integration of industry, education and research has benefited many students.
In the interview, Cheng Renjie said frankly that he followed his mentor to do many scientific research projects in new energy vehicles, which made him stand out quickly when looking for a job.
As a university teacher, Yuan Wei, a professor of mechanical and automotive engineering at South China University of Technology, puts forward higher demands on himself.
"We must insist on walking on two legs for basic research and transformation of results. With the help of platforms and bridges built by schools, we should promote some good technologies and concepts to the industry, accelerate the application of transformation, and open up the'last mile'."
(Our reporter Zhang Yun, Wu Chunyan, Yang Sa, Zhou Shixiang)