A total of 500 laid-off workers from state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in Hefei are receiving free one-month training classes at the University of Science and Technology of China, based in this capital city of east China's Anhui Province.

This is the first time a prestigious Chinese university has offered such a vocational skills program to help the unemployed in the province, and it is part of the university's pledge to assist the development of the country's western region and boost local economic growth.

Three classes are available to the laid-offs: computer science, repair of telecommunication products, and marketing. Teachers of the courses are academics or professional engineers. Students are expected to master basic skills in their area of study and be qualified to work in the field.