Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 2000

Walk-in interviews are conducted at labour markets' in Shenzhen. Requirements for different jobs are listed on cm LCD screen. (4) Education Enlivens Economic Development Increased Productivity and Wages The researchers find that, generally speaking, education has raised the productivity and competitiveness of workers in South China during its transition into a market- oriented economy. College an d university graduates receive significantly higher wages in the non-state (private) sector. Wage discrepancy between workers with different education levels is also more obvious in private enterprises. Greater Demand for On-the-job Training It is also observed that better educated employees have received and hope to receive more on-the-job training. In other words, th e d ema nd for on-the-job training is related to the initial level of education of the workers. Basic education, therefore, has long term effects on the pursuit of lifelong learning b y workers and the ability of a society to adjust to changes. Better Adaptability in the Face of Change Senior secondary students with good academic achievement and high educational aspirations are observe d to be more aware of social change and willing to adjust to such change. Education is seen to have helped students anticipate an d harness change in a rapidly developin g economy. (5) Economic Development Impacts on Education Changing Partnership Between Schools and Enterprises Schools use d to receive resources f r om enterprises to develop training programmes that met the needs of their partner enterprises. Schools also gave higher priority to their partner enterprises wh e n assigning their graduates to work. This old form of partnership between schools and enterprises has disintegrated following changes in the government's policy towards vocational education, the emergence of n ew technology, and the shift of labour distribution due to market forces. A new form of school-enterprise partnership needs t o be defined and worked out in the future. Interactions Between Education and Economic Development The Experience of S h e n z h e n 99