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The focus of a conference held on 2 April 2009 in Shanghai was on educational, institutional, and legal prerequisites for a successful integration of young people into employment and society. The participants discussed the transition process with regard to issues of effectiveness and efficiency; social opportunities and social inequality; as well as labour-law-related aspects of effectiveness and social security. Upon invitation from both institutions, prominent Chinese and European experts met in China’s financial metropolis for the first workshop on April 2, 2009, a promising collaboration between one of China’s most traditional government research institutes and the think tank of Adecco S.A. (Zurich), the world’s largest private-sector human resources and staffing services provider.
Most important conclusion drawn by participants from both continents was the absolute necessity, particularly in times of global economic crisis, to continue providing pupils and students with proper, professional training for their future careers and to even intensify these activities. Professor Wang summed up the actual dilemma in China: there may be a shortage of highly-trained workers, but the vast majority of graduating students do not fulfil the skill requirements and thus will find it increasingly difficult to obtain jobs. Making selective changes to the training offered at schools, universities and within the business world is not sufficient. Wolfgang Clement explained that throughout his extensive political work as the minister-president of Germany’s largest state, North-Rhine Westphalia, and as the German federal minister of economics and labour, his experience has been that young people are the main victims of economic weakness.
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English
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