Liu Kang, an official with the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, said the vocational training mainly targeted laid-off workers, rural laborers, graduates of various kinds of schools andthose already employed.

As state assistance to laid-off workers has shifted from providing them with a guaranteed basic livelihood to helping them acquire qualifications for re-employment, the government would link its capital investment to the performance of training agencies.

"Only those that have fulfilled their (training) quotas and lived up to the standards designated by local governments can enjoy financial support," he said.

The ministry has vowed to help 90 percent of laid-off workers who have attended vocational training to become qualified and 50 percent of them to be re-employed.

In cooperation with the International Labor Organization, Chinaalso plans to set up pioneering training in 100 cities, helping atleast 40 percent of trainees become self-employed and start up their own businesses.

As China's supply of technicians falls short of market demand, Chen Yu, a ministry official in charge of technical guidance, said China would redouble its efforts to train technicians especially those highly skilled.

A labor force reserve system will be introduced among middle school graduates and surplus rural laborers, with an aim to better equip them before they apply for a job.

More Chinese seek technical certificates to find jobs

With competition in the job market heating up, many more Chinese are choosing to get ahead with a technical certificate and their academic qualifications.

The Ministry said that between January and June this year, some 2.4 million people joined a range of skill training courses, up 1.9 percent over the same period last year.

Some 2.04 million of them received a technical certificate, up 1.5 percent.

To date, there are 8,336 organizations specializing in technical courses in China that employ 143,000 staff.

Since the technical certificate system was launched in 1994, more than 35 million people have passed such courses and received their certificates.

The skill training system has five gradings according to the knowledge and technical requirements of jobs.

(People's Daily August 1, 2002)