A group of university students are ready and willing to fill in as domestic helpers in Beijing during the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday.

Thirty-two students, including 26 postgraduates, polished their household cleaning skills at a local domestic employment agency on Sunday, and are now ready to meet with potential employers.

These part-timers, most of whom are willing to work for a monthly salary of less than 2,500 yuan (US$343.64), are hoping to work through their winter vacation when many regular domestic helpers leave to visit their families.

Domestic helpers with a university education are usually more in demand than their uneducated counterparts, because employers expect them also to serve as a private teacher for their children.

Families looking for a domestic helper can log on to www.51zdzx.com for detailed information about the students.

(CRI January 7, 2008)