University gives domestic helpers a leg up with bachelor's degree program

Shanghai Open University, the city’s largest adult education institution, has launched the country’s first bachelor's degree program for domestic helpers.

The initial group of students will begin classes next spring.

The news attracted scores of domestic service industry insiders to a conference at the university over the weekend.

Domestic helper Wen Xinbao was one of the first applicants for the program. She said she began working in the industry in 2002 and has served eight families of different nationalities.

“I enrolled in a junior college program at the university two years ago and significantly improved my English and service skills,” she said. “I would like to apply for the bachelor’s degree program to learn more about diet, communication and emotional management.”

Zhang Xiulin is also a graduate of the junior college program launched in 2014, which has admitted more than 2,500 students with over 1,400 graduates. She provides door-to-door senior-care services.

“I found in my work that senior residents need services such as chronic disease management and psychological counselling," she said. "I hope I can learn such things in the new program."

Lu Qi, dean of the university’s public administration college and who is in charge of the new program, said about 50 students will initially take part.

“The junior college degree program focuses more on training practical skills, such as cooking and flower arrangement,” she said. “The bachelor's degree program integrates theories and practices. It will include courses such as home economics, management, nutriology, medicine, laws and ethics. There will also be courses for industrial managers, such as an introduction to modern services, human resources management and enterprise management.”

Lu said there are about 500,000 domestic helpers in Shanghaii and the market size is 30 billion yuan (US$4.6 billion), which is expected to increase to 60 billion yuan in the next five years.

Zhang Lili, president of the Shanghai Domestic Service Industry Association, said she looks forward to the program improving the industry's service quality.

“There's a lack of professional talent, including housekeepers and managers of domestic service organizations,” she said. "I hope the new program will cultivate more high-quality talent for our industry."