Neighborhood community service workers, including psychologists, emergency rescuers and dating agency helpers in Shanghai will receive training from municipal authorities as part of a government plan to upgrade their qualification.
The eastern China municipality will take the lead in implementing a professional qualification certification system for community service work, said Shi Derong with Shanghai's Civil Affairs Bureau.
The Provisional Regulations on Job Qualification Certificates of Community Workers, which is to take effect later this year, will encompass community work related to public assistance, welfare, weddings and funerals.
The first specialized community workers with qualification certificates are expected to appear in Shanghai in two or three years, according to Shi.
Shanghai recently transferred several social service functions from the municipal government to neighborhood community service centers and set up related institutions such as the Management Center for Public Aid.
These institutions play an essential role in serving the neighborhood community service centers and dealing with social problems.
Shi expressed the belief that there will be a growing number of trained community service workers employed in Shanghai in the years ahead.
(Xinhua News Agency February 14, 2003)
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