Lingang area appeals to students
Students line up at a booth at the jobs fair hosted by Shanghai Ocean University.
More than 80 enterprises offering more than 1,000 vacancies took part in a jobs fair for graduating students from five universities in the Lingang Area, the first of its kind organized after it was announced as an expanded area of the pilot free trade zone.
The prospective employers were from sectors that included finance, shipping, logistics, law, technology, chemical engineering, electricity, marine work and ship management sectors.
Youcan Robot, which produces underwater tracking robots, had one of the most popular booths with students lining up soon after the fair opened at Shanghai Ocean University.
“After Lingang was added to the FTZ, we also see greater development potential as most our products are sold overseas and now we need more talent,” said Li Zhiqin, the company's CEO.
Li said that it was difficult to recruit graduates from downtown to its company in Lingang due to its suburban location, but those from universities in the area showed more willingness to stay.
“I come here to talk to employees directly so as to shorten the process and seek needed talent,” he said. “We want graduate students only and their starting pay will be over 8,000 yuan (US$1,125) per month, plus annual bonuses and shares. I think Lingang’s new status will also help us attract more talent than before.”
Yan Ping, director of the employment service center at Shanghai Ocean University, said more of its graduates had become willing to work in enterprises in Lingang, especially after it was added to the pilot free trade zone.
“After the announcement, many students are eager to know the favorable policies for graduates who choose to work in the area,” said Yan. “We recently invited related officials to explain the policies, such as subsidies for renting house and internships, and all the seats of the auditorium were occupied.”
Yan said more and more enterprises were coming to Lingang, providing more attractive jobs, including Tesla and Haichang Ocean Park.
She said that five years ago only a few students would stay in Lingang after graduation, but the number had grown to more than 20 in the past two years, and she expected it would continue to increase in the future.
Jiang Qicheng, a senior student majoring in marine science and fishery technology at the university, said he and his classmates all saw Lingang as an increasingly attractive place to live and work with great development potential.
“There are a lot of favorable policies for us to work in local enterprises or to start up businesses here,” he said.
Shanghai Lingang Talent Service Center had a booth at the fair, explaining related policies to students from the five universities — Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai Maritime University, Shanghai Jian Qiao University, Shanghai Dianji University and Shanghai University of Electric Power.
A staff member from the center said students taking internships locally can apply for a monthly 2,000 yuan subsidy for up to six months.
There were also affordable apartments for talent and rental subsidies available of between 400 yuan and 1,000 yuan a month.
“For non-locals like me, the cost of living is very high in Shanghai and such subsidies are very attractive to us,” said Jiang, from Fujian Province.
A student asks about career prospects at one of the booths at the recent jobs fair in the Lingang Area.
