China to put 14m migrant workers on vocational training within 2 years

BEIJING -- China plans to put at least 7 million migrant workers on vocational training programs in each year of 2020 and 2021, as part of the efforts to stabilize employment and alleviate poverty.

Such training programs will target rural migrant workers including those with a job or without, and those who newly resettled in cities or returned to their hometowns, as well as poor laborers, according to a recent plan released by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

The plan emphasizes that enterprises should play a major role in training migrant workers who are on the job or furloughed to help them secure job positions.

Rural areas that export laborers should lead the training for those returning to their hometowns, and help them find jobs or start their own businesses locally, according to the plan.

The plan requires local governments to focus on the urgent need of the job market and carry out training in construction, machinery, catering, logistics, and other industries that are more suitable for migrant workers.

Training programs designed for new types of occupations such as delivery of online purchases, live-streaming sales and substitute driving should also be offered, according to the plan.