Center joins job-seeking efforts

Yu Chao and Tom Qian

Jiading¡¯s employment promotion center and enterprises joined universities and colleges in the district to help graduates start businesses and find jobs.

At Shanghai Industrial and Commercial Polytechnic in Waigang Town, students attended a series of job promotion meetings and vocational guidance activities. So far, around 60 percent of graduates have found jobs, with more than 280 still looking for positions.

Zhang Rui, a computer science student, had an internship at a company before the Chinese New Year. However, she wasn¡¯t able to secure the job due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

¡°Some students had signed employment agreements with employers beforehand, however, their jobs were cut due to the COVID-19 as the business environment has changed,¡± said Wang Zhongqiang, vice president of the polytechnic.

The college organized three employment promotion meetings to help graduates find jobs.

Some teachers have formed one-to-one partnerships with students to recommend suitable jobs for them according to their major and professional preferences. Whenever graduates meet difficulties, teachers can also give them timely help.

Despite the COVID-19, Shanghai Fast-PCB Circuit Technology Corp Ltd in Jiading Industrial Zone increased recruitment as the company plans to set up a research and development center. However, the company has found it hard to find suitable applicants through online interviews.

¡°Without face-to-face communication, we have difficulties in hiring the right candidates as they must have strong practical abilities,¡± Huang Chen, human resources director, said.

In addition to close communication with colleges and government departments, Fast-PCB also launched graduates training programs in order to hire more capable employees.

Jiading has set up an employment support team for graduates led by Ye Benxi, deputy director of the Jiading Employment Assistance Center¡¯s job introduction section.

Apart from enterprises in Jiading, the center plans to contact companies in the Yangtze  River Delta region and other areas for more job opportunities.

And innovation and entrepreneurship competitions are held in the district to help students demonstrate their creative ideas and capabilities, making it easier for them to find potential employers.