Some 2 billion yuan (US$250 million) of China's state budget has been earmarked for a training program for migrant farmers working in cities, according to the Ministry of Labor and Social Security.

The ministry's program to train migrant workers for city jobs will use funding support from local governments to improve the skills of 8 million migrant workers over the next five years.

People's Daily Monday said the training tuition allowance will average about 500 yuan (US$62.5) per worker.

Waves of Chinese rural farmers started heading for cities and city jobs in the late 1980s. There are now about 140 million migrant workers in China. Most of them can only do simple manual work in sectors such as the building or catering industry at salaries much lower than those of urban residents, according to statistics from the ministry.

The government-backed courses aim to improve salaries and job security for migrant workers. The monthly salary of a skilled worker is about 200 yuan (US$25) higher than that of an unskilled worker.

Shenzhen city government, in south China's Guangdong Province, said 90 percent of the 5 million migrant workers who enroll in the training program will obtain skilled work qualification certificates after graduation, and 80 percent of them are expected to get job contracts lasting more than one year.

Song Fengjing, deputy director of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Labour and Social Security, said in addition to work skills, topics such as work ethics, safety, fire protection and legal knowledge will be covered in the course.

Song said 66 percent of the 3.57 million migrants in the city are workers. The training courses will help them find jobs in the service sector, which will create a raft of job opportunities when the capital city hosts the 2008 Olympic Games.

(Xinhua News Agency September 12, 2006)