The official report of the 18th National Congress of the CPC proposes the vigorous development of continuing education and the improvement of the lifelong education system. Xie Zhicai, a student at Qingdao RTVU

, has benefitted greatly from these guidelines.

At 5.50pm, 30 minutes before his online accounting course is due to start, Xie Zhicai turns on his computer, logs in to the Qingdao RTVU website and inputs his student number and password. He then starts to prepare the lesson.

His desk is covered with books on business administration. A notebook records both his comprehension and his confusion. He says: “I didn’t graduate from high school so I find the courses quite difficult.” In spite of various difficulties, Xie Zhicai has managed to actively participate in every online lesson. “This past year has broadened my horizons. I know this is a rare opportunity and I’ve decided to make the best of it.” 

With the help of Qingdao RTVU and the Qingdao Commission of the Communist Youth League of China, 33 representatives from different walks of life have enrolled at Qingdao RTVU and gained the chance to learn online for free. They will be awarded a diploma upon completion of the course. Xie Zhicai believes he is very lucky and has found that people in Qingdao have begun to pay more and more attention to continuing education for new citizens over the past 10 years.

In 2005, Xie Zhicai became a member of the “Love Programme”, which is financed by the government and designed specifically to help new citizens improve their working skills. This programme allows some new citizens to attend technical college tuition free until they are able to earn money. Thanks to the programme, Xie Zhicai had two months of training as an electrician and was able to pay back his tuition within 3 months of graduating. In 2010, he obtained an advanced electrician certificate and got a job earning more than 5,000 RMB.

His first job in the city was washing dishes in a restaurant. He earned 100 RMB in the first month, 200 RMB in the second month, and 300 RMB in the third month. After washing dishes for two years, in 2004, he became a construction worker in Qingdao’s Licang district. He was exhausted everyday. Now he looks back on these tough days and smiles: “Back then, I felt confused. I thought, ‘this is it, this is my whole life.’” Now, with the help of his teachers and fellow students, he has started his own business. No matter how tired he is, he insists on studying everyday. He says: “Knowledge is never useless. It is never too late to learn.”

The official report of the 18th National Congress of the CPC emphasizes vocational and continuing education, which inspires confidence in Xie Zhicai. He says: “Vocational and continuing education help everyone. Although we don’t have a strong educational background, we can find a good job in Qingdao as long as we are willing to work hard. Without the help of the government, I don’t know where I would be today.” 

From Qingdao Daily