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August 23, 2014

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Training programs open new doors for migrant workers

Source: Xinhua | August 23, 2014, Saturday | Print Edition

AS a migrant worker, Li Weichao spent much of his youth shifting from one temporary job to another, living thousands of miles away from his family to perform backbreaking labor for minimal pay.

The hours were long, the travel was tiring and the pay, while better than some, was only just enough to get by.

“I used to do manual work on construction sites, making about 300 yuan (US$49) a day. I was always worried about finding my next job,” the 26-year-old from Henan Province said.

But his recent graduation from vocational school looks set to change that. After receiving training as a chef, Li recently landed a job working at a restaurant in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan.

“Since attending vocational school, I think the days of worrying about my next job are over,” he said.

As China loosens household registration restrictions to allow migrant workers to receive equal urban welfare, many like Li are seeking to settle down in cities.

The household registration system was set up in 1958 to control the movement of rural people into cities. The system has prevented the country’s 269 million migrant workers from receiving the same public benefits as city dwellers and is widely believed to have hindered urbanization and domestic consumption.

With the restrictions changing, as many as 100 million migrant workers are expected to become “real city dwellers” by 2020.

To ensure new residents can find stable jobs, cities across the country are focusing on furthering vocational training for migrant workers.

Henan, the country’s most populated province, has a workforce of 49 million people. In 2009, its government launched a province-wide campaign to strengthen the skills of its residents by offering training programs. By the end of last year, the programs had helped 17.8 million people.

Anhui Province, another region with a big workforce, also introduced training programs.

Luo Qunhu, a migrant worker from Anhui, doubled his income after receiving training. Previously earning about 2,000 yuan a month in a factory, he was trained to be a technician and his monthly salary rose to 4,000 yuan in the same plant.

Official statistics show that since the launch of the training programs the average monthly income of Anhui’s migrant workers has increased to 2,909 yuan, 300 yuan more than the national average.

However, one survey found that only about 30 percent of China’s migrant workers have undergone vocational training.

The lack of technical skills are the main obstacle preventing them from becoming urban and industrial workers, the survey found.

Zhang Junjie, a political adviser from Anhui, has been studying the vocational training of migrant workers for years. His research revealed that most vocational training schools provide only old-fashioned courses such as computing, welding and hairdressing, which are out of touch with the diverse needs of China’s changing job marketplace.

The new programs include training in such skills as car repairs, molding for the manufacturing industry and heavy construction vehicle operation.

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