University students have showed great interest in taking vacation jobs as housekeeping assistants in response to a proposal put forward by Beijing Morning Post and the Beijing Association of Housekeeping Services.

 

Up until now, more than 100 college students have applied for housekeeping jobs during their winter vacation. Nearly 30 of them, including a postgraduate student, signed up at the opening ceremony of the first housekeeping training course for university students held on January 22 in Beijing.

 

Postgraduate student woks as multi-purpose housekeeper

 

The only postgraduate student who signed up was Wang Xujun, a student at the Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. He told the reporter his salary expectations were 2,000 yuan. In addition to working as a cooker, tutor, companion and secretary, he can also serve as a health care consultant.

 

Is it a waste of talent for a postgraduate student to work as a "super nanny?" In his view, the work offers the opportunity to earn extra money, keep in touch with the society, learn to build personal relations and become better with finance.

 

100 college students apply in three days

 

Between January 18 and 20, nearly 100 students from more than 20 universities in Beijing submitted application forms to the Beijing subsidiary company of Chuan Meizi Housekeeping Agency. Beijing Yi Xuan Housekeeping agency entertained three to four college students a day with questions.

 

The students will take part in a one-week training course before taking the job, including basic housework skills, safety consciousness and teaching methods for primary and middle school students.

 

Time needed for the society to accept "super nannies"

 

After the proposal was put jointly forward by the Beijing Morning Post and Beijing Association of Housekeeping Services on January 11, three housekeeping agencies showed their support, including offering relevant training courses during winter vacation.

 

The manager of the Beijing Yi Xuan Housekeeping Agency said it would take time for the university students and their employers to accept each other. The company offers a three-day probation before each deal is signed.

 

(CRI January 24, 2007)