On December 12, 2025, amidst high unemployment rates in China and a large influx of highly educated individuals entering the food delivery industry, Guangzhou City established the first “Modern Rider Academy.” Netizens criticized this move as “preparing to exploit delivery riders.”
On December 11, the Guangdong Provincial Department of Education and JD.com signed a “Strategic Cooperation Agreement” to establish the “first national Modern Rider Academy” at the Guangzhou Vocational and Technical College.
During the afternoon of the same day, Feng Lei, Vice President of JD.com, stated at the ceremony that the academy will not only provide basic operation and safety training for new delivery riders but also offer a “dual-track training of education + skills” for a wide range of riders, including those in food delivery and express delivery, while also providing a training base for future drone operators.
According to reports in Chinese media, the academy will provide “professional training” for food delivery riders, issuing “Vocational Skill Level Certificates” or “Special Ability Certificates,” which can be used as a reference for “rider promotion and job transfer,” while also being “included in JD.com’s rider talent database.”
The training is expected to cover all 100,000+ full-time riders and frontline riders in Guangdong in the next three years.
Addressing concerns about riders being too busy to attend classes full-time, Ouyang Li, Vice President of Guangzhou Vocational and Technical College, claimed that the Modern Rider Academy offers three training formats for different riders to choose from: short-term training, long-term training, and targeted training.
Ouyang Li stated that the academy is expected to officially start classes in the first half of next year with an initial training scale of about 500 people. The long-term program will last three years, while the short-term program typically ranges from 1 to 2 months. Riders will only bear a small portion of the tuition fees themselves, with the school also implementing supporting measures to ensure that students have no financial worries.
Regarding the establishment of the Rider Academy in Guangzhou, some netizens on Weibo commented humorously: “Have the instructors been delivery riders before? Or regional managers.” “They probably want to charge fees for certification?””Rider certification, courier certification, ride-hailing car certification, ‘ha-ha’, bi-annual exams, each costing 240 yuan.” “To prevent so-called experts and teachers from becoming unemployed!” “Why does it feel like a sly wolf has an ulterior motive when wishing a chicken a happy new year.” “Finding ways to make money.” “Many postgraduates and undergraduates have studied for 7 years, have they found a job yet?” “The name sounds terrible, Modern Food Logistics Distribution Professional.”
The news video was reposted on Platform X, where overseas netizens criticized the situation, stating that the food delivery profession originally became an outlet for low-educated individuals due to its low threshold, and now with the introduction of a “Rider Academy,” the threshold is being raised:
“Could this be a way to set up an entry fee? Right now, you can work as a rider without a certificate, will you need a certificate to work in the future?”
“Impressive, paying to learn how to deliver food. Going back to the village, neighbors will greet you, ‘The university student is back, what did you study?’ ‘Delivery rider profession,’ those who don’t understand might think it’s a knight.”
“Very soon there will be a Beggar Academy. Providing basic operation and safety training for new hires, also offering ‘survival + skills’ dual-track training for a wide range of beggars, including those in homelessness and begging, while also providing a training base for future electronic beggars.”