The project "Training 10 million people in three years" is aimed at helping laid-off and unemployed workers to master professional skills. The government will pay all or most of the training and tuition fees.

Unemployment is a serious factor threatening social order. Statistics from the ministry show that by last autumn there were 6.67 million laid-off workers from the country’s state-owned enterprises.

“A lack of professional skills is the main problem unemployed and laid-off workers have in seeking jobs,” said Li Zhanwu, deputy director of the professional training office of the ministry.

This is the second time such a project has been launched. In 1998, the ministry kicked off this project, and the results have been remarkable.

By the third quarter of 2000, 12 million laid-off and unemployed workers - 2 million more than had been forecast - had undergone training programs ranging from cooking and hair-dressing to public relations, law and marketing.

Among those receiving training, 7.8 million people, or 65 percent, found new jobs.

In some places, such as Shanghai and Jiangsu, non-governmental institutions joined forces with local authorities in the project. They were selected by successfully bidding to local governments and given a sum of money to provide high-quality training courses for laid-off and unemployed workers.

(China Daily 01/30/2001)