Finding new ways to effectively acquire human resources for the township of Guzhen's thriving lighting industry is among its most important tasks as the town strives toward its goal of becoming a global lighting hub.

"We bear clearly in mind the important role of human resources in industrial development, and we are building up human resources in support of the industrial upgrade," said Ou Jinhui, director of Guzhen township government's publicity office.

To that end, the township government has set up a national incubation base, where young entrepreneurs can open businesses with help in the form of financial aid, preferential policies as well as other incentives, including subsidies for office rental and reduced fees for property management, water, power, telecom and the Internet.

In the past couple of years, more than 80 young people have chosen the base to start businesses specialized in e-commerce, foreign trade, accounting and tax service, industrial design, planning and R&D, said the official.

"The township government has recently set up an administrative committee for the base, which is expected to improve the service and administration of the base," he said.

Meanwhile, Guzhen is anticipating at least 3,000 industry professionals from China and abroad via training programs or by offering incentives aimed at securing professionals in certain in-demand positions.

To improve the assembly and packaging skills, he said, the human resources and social pension bureau of the local government has integrated training and competition programs for the workers.

Training programs on intellectual property rights, product quality, safe production, technological development and corporate management are also readily available to workers and management staff.

And Guzhen has generously set up a township community college by joining hands with Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, one of China's key universities.

"Guzhen is planning to set up a lighting polytechnic school and to launch a special fund for the development of human resources," he said.

"Our endeavors aim to cultivate the existing workforce into professionals, while securing high-caliber ones, making them settle down and enabling them to make good use of their genius," he said. "Guzhen's future lighting industry hinges very heavily on them."

Other steps the township government is taking to make the lighting industry bigger and stronger include a strategy to highlight the quality of products and hone brand awareness.

The government has also promoted a renewed focus on technological innovations. Furthermore, it has taken great strides to improve the infrastructure of the industrial parks and develop a modern service industry.

zhanlisheng@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 10/15/2012 page5)