A record 4.95 million university graduates will scramble for employment in China's fiercely-competitive job market in 2007, a rise of 19.9 percent year on year.

While university graduates are pressured to find a job, university authorities are giving a helping hand.

Li Junkai, deputy head of the employment guidance center under the Peking University, said one of the major jobs of his center is to help students know more about the market demand, so that they could find a job suitable for themselves.

"My center is concerned with every student who has not found a job," said Li.

Thanks for these efforts, more than 96 percent of graduates and post-graduates of the Peking University in recent years have found employment, while the remaining nearly four percent are either studying abroad or planning to start their own business.

Some schools of higher learning have changed their curriculum and established new courses that are more adaptable to the market demand.

Nearly 60 new specialities were launched in Beijing-based universities and colleges this year while seven specialities in four universities were cancelled due to low employment rate of graduates.

Shi Chao, an education expert, warned graduates to take a proper attitude toward employment as many job-seekers have too high expectancy for a job and salary.

The government encourages university graduates to work in remote and economically backward areas or start their own businesses. Enterprises, especially small and medium-sized firms and private businesses, are asked to employ university graduates.

Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Regional government has adopted policies to encourage more university graduates to work in the region's mountainous areas. Those graduates who voluntarily work in the region's southern mountainous areas will get a certain amount of social security subsidies each year for at least three years.

(Xinhua News Agency May 6, 2007)