Some 52,000 migrant workers in Shenzhen will receive a subsidy Monday for employment training they received last year, the municipal labor and social security bureau told a press conference Thursday.

They will be the first batch of migrant workers to receive subsidies from the city government for their job training.

The workers will get 212 yuan (US$27) on average, but 100 workers who have obtained the professional title of technician will each get 800 yuan, according to the bureau.

The subsidy program will cover a total of 156,000 migrant workers and cost 33.15 million yuan. The remaining workers will receive the money by April 30, according to the bureau.

A total of 180,000 migrant workers have applied for the subsidy through their companies, training schools or assessment organizations, the press conference was told.

The subsidy is paid by the central government, which has given the city government 39 million yuan. The rest of the money will be used to provide free career services for migrant workers, according to the labor bureau.

(Shenzhen Daily April 6, 2007)