The Chinese government is to build a "base" in the eastern Shandong Province to offer vocational training for college students from around the country, the Ministry of Science and Technology announced Monday.

The base, to be completed in five years, is to cover 125 hectares with an investment of 12 billion yuan (US$1.7 billion).

Zhang Jing'an, an official with the ministry, said, "The place will not only offer training, but also serve as an experimental base for students to start their own businesses."

The base would offer training in high-technology areas, such as information technology, new materials, alternative energy, environmental protection and energy conservation, Zhang said.

The government has called for measures to boost employment of college students. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security said on January 20 that there would be 7.1 million college graduates seeking vacancies this year, including 1 million who failed to secure jobs last year.

(Xinhua News Agency February 24, 2009)