Vocational training program leads town residents to better lives

The government of Gaobadian town in Shangluo, Northwest China's Shaanxi province has helped local residents lead a better life by organizing vocational training classes and setting up factories.

The factories, specialized in a wide range of fields, including fungi, egg processing and electronic device components' production, employed at least 580 villagers, among whom 320 were from impoverished families, according to Yang Hao, Party chief of Gaobadian town.

Li Xiaoyun, a villager from Gaobadian, started working at a factory producing components for electronic devices in August last year. Working five days a week, she could earn more than 2,000 yuan ($286) a month.

"Before working here, my two sons and I totally relied on my husband for support, which means life was very difficult for us," she recalled. "Now with my salary earned from working at the factory, our life is better."

In a classroom in the Gaobadian's Fuqiao residential community, women from the community are being trained in housekeeping skills.