LANZHOU, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Qiao Chongyang, 28, had previously travel far to a big city for better employment prospects. Now she has a job with a stable income in her hometown.
Qiao now works for a nearby village flower factory with dozens of her neighbors. "The new job allows me to take care of my children and save almost every penny I earn since the factory is only five-minute walk away from my apartment."
The factory Qiao worked for is a branch of a leading industry player, introduced in Wuzhu Town with government subsidies in 2017. The factory not only create job opportunities, but also provide dividends to villagers mostly from impoverished households.
"I could barely take care of my children since I spent nearly all year around working away from home," Qiao said, recalling her previous work experience in cities. "The cost of living in cities is also too high for me to save money."
"Village industries not only help solve the problem of employment, but also contribute to rural development," said Wang Yuping, head of Wuzhu Town in Weiyuan County, Gansu Province.
Gansu, as a less-developed inland province, is a major export of labor services in China. Impoverished counties in the province have joined a national poverty-reduction campaign to encourage village factories that provide locals a stable source of income near home.
In recent years, local governments of populous and impoverished provinces and regions have also enhanced vocational training to help villagers adapt to their new jobs.
It is estimated that over 300,000 people from impoverished households have received training prior to work in over 10,000 new village factories in Shandong and Henan, two populus provinces of the country.
In May 2017, China vowed to develop a sophisticated lifelong vocational training system for employees, especially university graduates, rural migrant workers and laid-off workers.
There is a growing demand for trained and skilled manpower as village industries are gaining momentum in impoverished regions, said Xu Binke, an official with Tongwei County in Gansu.
The county has set up 14 workshops with the purpose of poverty alleviation, providing jobs for 550 people, half of whom are from poor families. They earn 1,500 yuan more on average every month.
Xu said village factories boosted rural economic development and could also ease pressures on taking care of left-behind children and the elderly.
