国内英语新闻:China strengthens vocational education to boost employment

China's urban unemployment rate stood at 4.3 percent at the end of 2009, with 9.21 million people unemployed.

According to data from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, 24 million people, including 6.3 million new college graduates and 6 million high school graduates, would enter the job market this year, though only 12 million jobs were available.

"We do not need only bankers and economists, but also qualified plumbers and mechanics to help us unblock drains and fix cars," said Zhao Shuming, professor of human resource management at Nanjing University in Jiangsu.

Zhao pointed to the creation of such work-study programs as a good way to gear young workers up for future jobs while addressing the unemployment problem.

Wang's story was a showcase of how China is seeking to boost employment and strengthen the training of human resources to improve the quality of its work force.

To meet the demands of different groups in finding jobs and preparing them for different types of careers, the government has conducted various vocational training programs. By the end of 2009, for instance, there were over 6,000 technical schools and employment training centers and over 2,000 private vocational training institutions, according to data from the Information Office of the State Council, China's cabinet.

The government offers pre-job training courses to junior and senior high school graduates who failed to gain admission to higher education in a bid to help them master vocational skills or obtain a professional certification before they begin seeking work.

From 2005 to 2009, over 50 million new jobs were created in urban areas, and nearly 45 million surplus rural workers were transferred to non-agricultural sectors.

"Faced with the difficulties caused when the supply of labor outstrips demand, the government should continue its efforts in offering employment assistance, such as occupational skill training courses, as they strive to create more jobs through multiple channels," Zhao Shuming noted.