In order to further enhance the quality and effectiveness of endeavors for the graduates’ employment and entrepreneurship and assist their high-quality job placement, and to seize the crucial period for employment efforts, on the afternoon of 23 April 23, Deputy Party Secretary and Vice President Zhang Weiling along with Vice President Liu Qing conducted a specialized investigation into the employment and entrepreneurship initiatives within the Department of Acting (including the Musical Theatre Centre). The representatives from the Office of Student Affairs and the Integrated Office for Discipline Inspection, the leadership of the Department of Acting, the head teachers of the graduating classes, counselors, and relevant faculty members were in attendance.
Firstly, the Department of Acting (including the Musical Theatre Centre) presented a report on the general employment situation and the progress of employment and entrepreneurship activities concerning the graduates in 2024.
The employment and entrepreneurship initiatives for the graduates were actively advanced with the strategy of "early mobilization, early guidance and early preparation," adhering to the "one strategy per student" approach, providing targeted employment and entrepreneurship guidance, helping students to diversify their employment and entrepreneurial pathways, and continuing to comprehensively improve the rate and quality of employment.
In order to integrate employment and entrepreneurship activities into the full process of student cultivation, the Department of Acting (including the Musical Theatre Centre) strengthened policy learning related to graduates through organizing themed class meetings, student representative discussions, and heart-to-heart talks as part of their daily student affairs work. Precise assistance was provided to the graduates on matters such as graduate destination declaration, signing tripartite agreements, household registration policies, and handling residence permits in Shanghai.
Furthermore, the Department consistently worked on strengthening the team responsible for employment and entrepreneurship guidance and established an effective and responsible graduate employment monitoring mechanism, enhancing internal employment supervision responsibilities, coordinating efforts, and collectively safeguarding students' employment, entrepreneurship and life development. Meanwhile, the Department actively extended its reach by visiting enterprises and expanding job positions, actively interfacing with leading industry entities such as Beijing People's Art Theatre, iQIYI, Bona Film Group, Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre, Shanghai Film Group and MiHoYo, creating more employment opportunities for students and building high-quality employment platforms, and by inviting employers, industry experts and distinguished alumni to conduct seminars, engage in face-to-face exchanges with students and answer questions. For example, they organized special lectures by Yu Xiao, the controller of the Shanghai Drama Arts Centre Actors Club; Gong Yu, the founder of iQIYI; and Li Chuanying, a faculty member from the Directing Department, which were well-received.
After understanding the Department’s efforts in progressing work such as "visiting enterprises to expand job positions", "one strategy per student", "employment model guidance" and "employment nurturing," the representatives from the relevant functional offices fully affirmed the integration of employment and entrepreneurship activities into the "Three-All" education system by the Department of Acting (including the Musical Theatre Centre), and their proactive alignment with high-quality institutions and enterprises. They also assisted the Department in precisely assessing the current employment situation and the effectiveness of employment measures. It was suggested that the Department continue to deepen the "one policy per student" approach, explore a branded career planning method with unique characteristics of the Department of Acting, and help graduates to better expand their employment channels, find accurate career positioning and realize their ideal goals.
Vice President Liu Qing emphasized the importance of linking employment for graduates with talent development, recruitment and other related activities. Employment should be considered as part of the entire talent cultivation process. It's essential to reflect on recruitment, specialty settings and curriculum development based on employment, and further optimize talent training programs and curriculum system building according to the characteristics and current situation of actors training, to better match the current job market for performing talents.
Deputy Party Secretary and Vice President Zhang Weiling acknowledged the Department of Acting's use of entrepreneurship and employment as a vital component of the "Three-All" approach. In implementing the "one strategy per student" approach, the Shanghai Theatre Academy's spirit of "homeland" should be promoted, ensuring adequate help and increased care. Furthermore, the Department of Acting was encouraged to continue exploring the integration of industry and education, closely link specialty building with industry development, and embrace the challenges of the employment market with more scientifically-set curriculum, more solid professional teaching and more concrete industry-education integration projects.
The Department of Acting (including the Musical Theatre Centre) will continue to prioritize the employment and entrepreneurship of graduates, striving to expand channels and build platforms and opportunities for job seekers. This special research and advancement meeting on employment and entrepreneurship will enhance two-way communication between the university and its secondary faculty. The Department of Acting will continue to uphold its educational mission by providing more comprehensive, precise and effective guidance and support for employment and entrepreneurship, promoting fuller and higher-quality employment for graduates.
