BEIJING, March 24 -- The Chinese government will provide free adult education for 1.5 million migrant workers in the next five years to improve literacy and work skills, the Ministry of Education said Thursday.

Starting in 2016, the government will help 300,000 migrant workers receive post-secondary education at universities or community colleges each year, according to the ministry.

The program will strengthen training employees of companies with overcapacity, who are likely to be made redundant as the nation pushes forward economic restructuring, in new skills.

Government statistics show China had 277 million migrant laborers as of the end of 2015, while only about 23.8 percent of them had received a high school or higher education and 7.3 percent had received a community college or university education.

The ministry urged institutions to improve educational quality for migrant workers and said it will establish an appraisal system.

Authorities will also establish an online learning platform for workers' convenience, it said.