Search for candidates

The provincial authorities canceled the graduate recruitment project in 2016. In response, officials in Gaoliu launched a program that year to recruit 60 cadres.

"Without enough qualified people, it would be difficult to implement all the rural revitalization policies," Wang said.

Although only 60 positions were offered, 129 candidates applied. After nearly a year of training, eight of the 60 chosen applicants were rejected, while 27 were sent to villages.

The other 25 are waiting to be allocated to villages, according to Wang, who noted that each of the township's 24 villages will have at least two young cadres this year.

"We expect governance of the villages to become easier then," he said.

One of the new recruits is Hu Wenwen, who worked in Shanghai after graduating from college.

"Recruitment notices were posted in the village, so my father asked me to return to apply for a position. My father was in poor health, and I wanted to take care of him at home," said the 34-year old, who was born and raised in Baojiaosi village in Gaoliu.

After passing an exam, he was employed by the Gaoliu government on a monthly income of 3,000 yuan. "Though it's not much, the income is acceptable," he said.

Hu attended a training program at the township government before being sent to Baojiaosi in July to work as a member of the village's Party committee, where he oversees the accounts.

Cadres can become members of the village's Party committee, which is elected by the Party members in the village or appointed by the township Party committee, and the villagers' committee, which is chosen by the residents.

Winning trust

Hu's father died last year, but the young man is willing to stay in Baojiaosi. "It means a lot to work for my fellow villagers, and we know each other so well," he said.

Wang said Hu will be nominated as a candidate for the villagers' committee. "He has won the trust of the villagers and hopefully he will be elected," he said, adding that Hu could still serve as a Party committee member even if he fails to win election.

He said the program is a major innovation in the township, which is overseen by the Hefei Economic and Technological Development Area, and is expected to be introduced in other rural areas of Hefei soon.

"Though we think young people, who often have better levels of education and professional skills, can work more efficiently than senior cadres, they may find it difficult to win the trust of the villagers and be elected," he said.

"They need the opportunity to prove themselves."

At the beginning of the year, the township government recruited a second group of young cadres, receiving more than 120 applications for just 23 positions.

"The village has improved a lot in many ways, including the infrastructure and living standards. I feel very happy every time I see these positive changes," Chen said.

Contact the writer at zhulixin@chinadaily.com.cn