Hefei, April 6 (CNN) -- "Generation Z" "justifies" the funeral industry: using modern technology to protect the dignity of life
Author: Zhang Qiang, Chu Weiwei
Wound suturing, facial contouring, cremator operation, and cemetery management...... Recently, in the practice class of modern funeral technology and management of Anhui Urban Management Vocational College, students carefully carried out funeral scene simulation training under the guidance of teachers.
Students majoring in modern funeral technology and management from Anhui Vocational College of Urban Management are training wound suture techniques in simulation. Photo by Zhang Qiang
Hou Bingqian, a sophomore at Anhui Vocational College of Urban Management, said that studying funeral made her rethink the meaning of life and death, and realized the importance of cherishing the present and living well. She learned about the funeral customs of different regions, the development of the modern funeral industry and the application of new technologies, such as virtual funerals, ecological burials and digital memorials.
Industry insiders predict that with the continuous growth of the elderly population, the talent gap in the funeral industry will become larger and larger. According to official Chinese data, by the end of 2022, there were 4,474 funeral service organizations in China, with 91,000 employees. By the end of 2023, there were more than 210 million people aged 65 and over in China.
Under the guidance of the teacher, the students of Anhui Urban Management Vocational College majoring in modern funeral technology and management are simulating the training of facial shaping techniques. Photo by Zhang Qiang
Deng Shikang, a first-year student at Anhui Urban Management Vocational College, chose to major in funeral because he was interested in the employment prospects of this industry. He believes that funeral practitioners are the last guardians of the dignity of life. With the development of society and the change of concepts, China's funeral industry has gradually eliminated prejudice, and the professional standard system has become more and more perfect, which will surely attract more and more "Generation Z" of the same age to join.
"Generation Z" Li Shuangxiu works in Fushouyuan Xiamen Huaixiang Etiquette Company, responsible for receiving family members to handle mourning hall business and assisting in funeral treatment. Li Shuangxiu said that the funeral industry needs professional ethics and a sense of responsibility, respecting the wishes and privacy of family members, and protecting dignity and rights and interests. "Everyone who has passed away deserves respect and care, and I will do my best to help the family through this difficult time. Despite the stress and emotional burden of work, I learned to communicate, release and adjust my mindset to be professional and calm. ”
Wang Chengyang works in the No. 1 Funeral Home in Tianjin, responsible for the farewell hall business, and participates in the farewell party of life. "The funeral industry requires a number of skills, such as body etiquette, hosting, and manuscript writing. ”
At present, there are seven colleges and universities and three secondary schools in China to set up funeral majors, training and delivering high-quality technical and skilled talents for the funeral industry, with nearly 1,000 graduates every year. Anhui Vocational College of Urban Management is one of them.
According to reports, the modern funeral technology and management major of Anhui Urban Management Vocational College began to enroll students in 2019, and in December 2021, the Anhui Provincial Department of Civil Affairs and the Anhui Provincial Working Committee jointly established the Anhui Provincial Civil Affairs College in the school. The professional curriculum focuses on funeral services, cemetery management, cremation, embalming and plastic surgery. The curriculum system aims to cultivate students' professional general and professional abilities, as well as professional skills such as embalming, plastic surgery, makeup, and cremation.
Guo Haiyan, director of the social service teaching and research department of the School of Health and Elderly Care of Anhui Vocational College of Urban Management, said that up to now, the school has enrolled nearly 600 students in the modern funeral technology and management major, and the employment rate has reached 100%. Among the more than 300 students in school, there are more female students than male students. "It is rumored that the funeral industry is a high-paying industry, but this is not the case, their income is directly proportional to their efforts, and they earn hard-earned money. ”
Students majoring in modern funeral technology and management from Anhui Vocational College of Urban Management are conducting facial shaping simulation training. Photo by Zhang Qiang
Guo Haiyan said: "In order to ensure the quality of teaching, we control the number of students enrolled in the funeral major at about 110 every year, but the number of students who sign up every year is very hot. In the past two days, we have been conducting this year's classified enrollment, and the funeral major plans to enroll 40 students, and the current number of applicants is nearly 700. ”
Guo Haiyan believes that technological advancements are driving innovation in the funeral industry, such as virtual reality technology to recreate the image of the deceased and provide creative ways to say goodbye. This requires professionals to be professional and innovative. Teachers need to keep up with technology and equipment developments. (ENDS)