A Critical Analysis of the Current Situation and Challenges Facing Technical Personnel in Material Production Enterprises

From a human resource perspective, this study conducts an in-depth investigation into the development trajectory of the refractory industry and the current state of its workforce, systematically analyzing the prevailing conditions and challenges concerning technical personnel in refractory enterprises. The findings reveal that leading large-scale enterprises, despite maintaining a relatively well-structured composition of senior technical staff, continue to face a significant shortfall in high-level application-oriented technical and operational personnel. In contrast, small and medium-sized enterprises, constrained by a strategic emphasis on production capacity at the expense of research and development, are increasingly trapped in a self-reinforcing cycle of low wages, limited technical capability, and low labor productivity. Moreover, vocational students employed across various refractory enterprises experience a dual predicament: some perceive a lack of comprehensive theoretical knowledge, while others seek to enhance their practical competencies in equipment operation and fault diagnosis.