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Entrepreneurial training project in China : retraining laid-off workers

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journal contribution
posted on 2012-12-01, 00:00 authored by B Wan, Athena Vongalis-Macrow
Despite the tremendous economic progress made by the Chinese economy, averaging a nine percent growth per year, one section of the community remains outside the economic boom. As state-owned enterprises (SOEs) restructure into more efficient organisations able to compete in the global economy, the plight of workers within these enterprises has become a pressing issue. No longer able to depend on a job for life, these workers present challenges for local governments. One initiative proposed by the International Labour Organisation called the Start Your Own Business (SYB) Program has been identified as a way to retrain laid-off workers, xiagang. By focussing on one city in China, this paper analyses some of the key issues associated with this program. Using anecdotal evidence from workers who have undergone the retraining, the paper has identified at least three areas of concern for workers participating in the SYB retraining program. Access to seed funding, the implementation of knowledge and skills into practice, and furthering support and guidance in market analysis remain issues for the continued success of this program.

History

Journal

International education journal : comparative perspectives

Volume

11

Pagination

82 - 95

Location

Bedford Park, S. Aust.

Open access

  • Yes

ISSN

1443-1475

Language

eng

Publication classification

C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Copyright notice

2012, Shannon Research Press