Online platform links workers, firms; more skill training programs in plan

Human resources authorities are stepping up efforts to transport migrant workers to their jobs and enhance skills training programs to propel the resumption of work at companies, senior officials said at a news conference on Thursday.

So far, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security has helped recruit 370,000 workers for 9,138 businesses focusing on medical supplies production. It is also involved in the transportation of over 4.1 million migrant workers through chartered trains, planes and buses, according to Li Zhong, the vice-minister.

"Helping companies and businesses resume their work is key to people's lives and social stability. So far, about 100 million migrant workers have returned to cities to work, accounting for 80 percent of the group who went back home before the Spring Festival holiday," he said.

He said that the ministry has established mechanisms to secure a labor force for some key companies producing medical and daily supplies amid the epidemic, and also a mechanism to transfer migrant workers.

"Through the mechanism, we made it easier for employment information to reach migrant workers and arranged for them to get back to work in good order after receiving health checks," he said.

According to Li, the ministry also set up online platforms to connect employers and migrant workers. "Companies can report their employers' information on the platform while employers can report their travel plans," he said.

To help relieve companies' labor shortfalls amid the epidemic, the ministry continues to organize job fairs online and encourage employers to conduct interviews online.

Zhang Lixin, the ministry's director of vocational capacity building, said at the news conference that the ministry will further enhance online skills training programs to better support companies' resumption of work.

"Companies are not only employers but also incubators of talent and skilled people," he said. "We will offer great support to companies to let them train and evaluate workers online amid the epidemic, and better ease the labor shortfalls."

Zhang said that preferential policies and financial support will be given to these companies.

"Companies hit by the coronavirus can get an allowance from the central government when they organize online skills training for their workers," he said. "Companies and workshops that hire people stricken with poverty or those having difficulties finding jobs will be given subsidies for no more than six months."

Zhang said that the ministry will carry out a skills training campaign from late March to late June to help companies resume work, especially those severely hit by the outbreak.

"We will select over 50 online training platforms and make training resources of 100-plus professions available to people," he said. "We plan to attract 5 million people to attend online."

The campaign will cover laid-off workers, migrant workers, college graduates and workers in poor financial condition, according to Zhang.

Li Zhong, the vice-minister, said that the ministry will also launch an event from March 20 to June 30, during which tens of millions of job vacancies will be posted online.

"We hope to stabilize hiring and promote work resumption through these charity events and online job fairs," Li said.