Talent Pool Dry for Western RegionsLack of talent is standing in the way of western development, according to Monday's Chinadaily.The existing quality and distribution of talented people and professionals in western China's 10 provinces and autonomous regions "are not good enough for supporting the region's economic take-off as the government expected," said a latest personnel survey. Three groups of experts dispatched by the Ministry of Personnel conducted the survey between February and March. It was released yesterday and concluded "the talented people and related policies in western China cannot meet the needs of the country's growing market economy and development of western regions." Worst of all, the gap between China's relatively prosperous eastern areas and western regions is enlarging, the survey warned. In western China's interior provinces of Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Xinjiang, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Tibet and Chongqing Municipality, only 161 "talented people and professionals" were found for every 10,000 people working in State-run enterprises and institutions, the survey disclosed. The number is lower than the 206 per 10,000 in eastern China and is 30 per cent below the national average even with non-State employees taken into account. Among regional talents, those mastering the most advanced high-tech and newest knowledge are particularly scarce, the survey said. The region's talented people are also non-uniform in their distribution, employers, type of trade, amount of senior professional titles and education. At least 80 per cent of talented people and professionals in Qinghai and Gansu provinces have been crowded into the provincial capitals with few working in smaller cities or rural areas. About 85 per cent of the total are working for State-owned enterprises and institutions. About 80 per cent of talented people in all western China are concentrated in government agencies and institutions, 20 per cent higher than the national average. Of those working in institutions, over 60 per cent are professionals engaged in education and medical services. Only 18 per cent work as agricultural technicians or engineers. The amount of professionals and engineers with senior titles makes up only 3.5 per cent, 2 per cent lower than average. Of those with senior professional titles, 70-80 per cent are older than 55 with only 18 per cent below 45 years old. The survey also revealed that, among western professionals, only 3 per cent continued their education beyond junior colleges, about 3 per cent lower than in eastern China. Many lack adaptability due to outdated knowledge, said the survey. There has been a general exodus of talent from western regions, the survey said. In Xinjiang alone, some 40,000 professionals transferred to work outside the autonomous region from 1979-98 while only about 7,250 talents moved into the area. The survey cited poor working and living conditions as main reasons for the departure. While lacking senior professionals with updated knowledge, ordinary technicians educated in secondary technical schools have been in surplus in western regions. |
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