China to train 35 million rural workers in 7 years: official

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, April 07, 2004

China to train 35 million rural workers in 7 years: official

China unveiled Wednesday a program to train 35 million farmers in a bid to improve their work skills in seven years before 2010. China has a total of 480 million rural laborers, far outnumbering the actual need of 330 million by 150 million.

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China unveiled Wednesday a program to train 35 million farmers in a bid to improve their work skills in seven years before 2010.

According to the program, known as Sunshine Project for Transferring and Training Rural Labor Force, China will offer short-term training to 5 million farmers during 2004 and 2005 at the initial stage in mostly major grain-producing areas, major source of migrant workers, poor areas and former revolutionary bases.

The program was unveiled by six ministries, including the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, and the Ministry of Education.

During the initial stage, the central government will explore mechanisms to train farmers and transfer them to non-farming sectors to accumulate experience for training on a larger scale, officials said.

Zhang Baowen, vice-minister of agriculture, said China plans to train 30 million rural workers during 2006 and 2010.

The six ministries have set up a national task force to coordinate the training efforts and regulations on the project, said the vice-minister.

Zhang said China, which has a population of 1.3 billion, has a total of 480 million rural labor force, outnumbering the actual demand of 330 million by 150 million.

Zhang said 160 million Chinese rural workers are employed by rural firms and other non-agricultural sectors in the countryside, leaving the remaining 320million people growing crops, raising cattle, sheep and chickens, and fishing.

It is estimated that China's crop-growing sector needs only 150 million work force with 20 million work force specializing in stock raising, said the vice-minister.

To make matters worse, the rural work force is increasing by about six million each year, the official said.

Farmers in China are busy for about five months a year during sowing and harvesting seasons on their small patch of farmland, and are idle for most of the year. China's per capita of farmland is about one-tenth of a hectare.

Lack of work skills has made it difficult for farmers to seek jobs in non-farming sector and in cities or keep their jobs.

The vice-minister said 38.2 percent of the rural work force have only primary school education or less, 49.3 percent have junior middle school education, and 11.9 percent receive senior middle school education.

Zhang said 9.1 percent of the rural work force have received professional training for job skills.

China is expected to need more better trained workers along with the development of the country's economy and rise of emergingsectors, said the vice-minister.

China has launched a program to train millions of farmers from 2003 and 2010.

By People's Daily Online

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