National government initiatives on employment include the following programmes.
The China National Trade Union Federation is organising activities nationally on policy and guidance regarding employment support for poor families and college graduates. In addition, school graduates can receive free employment services on returning home. College graduates are being encouraged to join the army and undergraduates to make use of the various subsidies available for students. Businesses are being urged to provide jobs for fresh graduates and internships to enable university students to gain experience for future employment. To avoid internships becoming opportunities for low-cost labour, some organisations require a certain proportion of trainees to be kept on as staff.
The Guangdong Human Resources and Social Security department, in co-operation with Finance, Education and 14 other departments, has introduced a host of subsidies to promote employment of college graduates. Unemployed graduates can also apply for a temporary living allowance.
There is active encouragement of urbanisation and development of small and medium-sized cities to attract young people. To expand the role of small and medium-sized businesses in provision of employment, the development of service industries is being accelerated along with a better business environment in terms of financial policies and information.
To provide vocational education to unemployed young people, China has launched a 'special vocational training programme' with several billion yuan allocated annually to subsidise training. All registered urban unemployed and rural migrant job-seekers can participate. The scheme aims to raise awareness of entrepreneurship and encourage young unemployed people to start businesses.
Other policies seek to open up opportunities and provide assistance for young unemployed people. These include: support for concessional loans; boosting the labour market; strengthening management of work units and employment agencies; improving the unemployment benefit system; additional development of vocational training in junior and high schools, as well as the ratio progressing to further education; employment opportunities for young people and migrant workers; and skill level upgrading for migrant workers.
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