Talent lack spurs initiatives |
http://www.sina.com.cn 2004/12/16 10:08 上海英文星报 |
ZHEJIANG faces a shortage of people skilled in high-end industrial work, a problem that has already become a bottleneck for this prosperous province seeking to maintain a rapid pace of economic growth, Yuan Zhongwei, deputy director of Zhejiang provincial personnel department, said recently. "The province is lacking at least 10,000 qualified professionals and other talented people, needed over the next two years to shift its current mode of economic development into a more intensive and high-value-added gear," Yuan said at a recent press conference in Shanghai on the province's personnel situation. Talent is most needed in senior management, technology research and development, international business rules and university professors. A project named "Attracting 10,000 Talented People" was rolled out in the province this year. "Over the next three years, we will introduce 10,000 talented people from outside Zhejiang," he said. "To help meet this target, the province has allocated 50 million yuan (US$6.02 million) to be used as a special fund to attract talent. A series of preferential policies is being initiated to help build an environment here that is respectful of knowledge and creativity." The province's journey in search of talent has made Shanghai its first stop. On December 5, a high-end job fair featuring "high requirement, high position and high salary" opened at the Shanghai Rainbow Hotel. Over 3,000 people with at least master's-degree-level education attended the fair, and more than 600 reached an initial agreement with prospective employers. Eight signed employment contracts at the fair. "In the past, the brain drain was serious in Zhejiang. The number of talented people drifting out of the province was greater than the number being introduced," Yuan said. Private companies, which account for a large proportion of the province's economy, found it hard to retain highly qualified people due to their instability and limited career development prospects when compared with multinationals. The situation is different now, with both government and enterprises in Zhejiang placing unprecedented emphasis on the importance of talented employees. The highest salary offered by a Zhejiang company at the recent Shanghai job fair was 1 million yuan (US$120,000) a year, for a managerial post in Russia. By Xiao Pan |