Push continues to find college graduates jobs

As number of degree holders grows, more being done to get them employed

The number of college graduates in China is expected to reach 11.79 million next year, a year-on-year increase of 210,000, according to the Ministry of Education.

Local authorities and higher education institutes are being urged to take multiple measures to promote their employment, which should be the priority of their work, the ministry said in a circular released on Tuesday.

With collaboration among multiple departments, more resources including job positions, funding, training and services will be provided to college graduates, it said.

A total of 26 measures were unveiled to promote the employment and entrepreneurship of the nation's college graduates next year, such as expanding job opportunities in grassroots positions and encouraging small and medium-sized enterprises to recruit more graduates.

Universities should have employment-focused staff and develop market-oriented and socialized employment channels to provide graduates with more high-quality job information.

Smart Education China, a national platform for employment services, will be promoted to strengthen accurate recommendations for job openings.

Modern information technology should be applied to provide students with personalized, precise and convenient employment guidance, the circular said.

The circular stipulates the role of government-related positions in creating jobs.

Exams for recruitment in government agencies and State-owned enterprises, as well as further education enrollment, should be arranged as early as possible to leave graduates more time for job seeking.

Authorities at the local level are expected to develop grassroots employment projects, and attract more graduates to find jobs and start businesses in the central and western areas of the nation.

The project of guiding graduates to land jobs in urban and rural communities should be further implemented to enhance grassroots management, it said.

Graduates majoring in medicine are encouraged to supplement the rural doctor team under preferential policies. Green channels are expected to open for graduates who are willing to join the army, according to the circular.

Universities should strengthen career education and employment guidance, helping graduates to establish a correct outlook on career and success.

Students need to enhance employability and obtain job opportunities through internships and practice.

More attention should be given to graduates from vulnerable groups such as poverty-stricken families or people with disabilities, it added.

China has spent over 200 billion yuan ($27.5 billion) to stabilize employment and promote entrepreneurship this year, China Central Television reported earlier.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security said in October that about 10.22 million new jobs had been created in urban areas in the first nine months of the year.

However, Minister Wang Xiaoping said last month that the nation is still under pressure to promote the employment of college graduates due to their increasing population, reaching 11.58 million this year.