More emphasis on vocational education required

MANY FACTORIES IN SHENZHEN, South China's Guangdong province, have complained that there is a shortage of workers after the Spring Festival holiday. Beijing Youth Daily comments:

The labor shortage is a national problem, with the insufficiency of skilled workers particularly worrying. Statistics from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences show that although China has 165 million technical workers, the shortfall in high-level technicians can still be counted in tens of millions.

The shortage of labor, particularly the skilled workers, is a characteristic of the labor market. The days when companies could profit from cheap labor have now gone. The employers must take the initiative in adapting to the change, paying more attention to training employees and providing skilled workers with decent wages and benefits.