Ms. Ruth Harkin, Senior Vice President of United Technologies, presented a check to Ms. Li Xiaolin, Vice President of CPAFFC and CUSA, at the donation ceremony.

Ms. Harkin and Ms. Li Xiaolin visited Chaoyang Vocational School.

    UTC decides recently to donate $50,000 every year for 3 consecutive years, a total sum of $150,000 to China Friendship Peace and Development Foundation under the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. The donation will be used to sponsor China's reemployment training project. The initial project kicks off today in Chaoyang Vocational School of Beijing which is expected to provide free vocational training for more than 350 unemployed women in Chaoyang District and contact jobs for them after training.

    One of the 500 top companies of the world, UTC owns many famous brands such as Otis elevator, Carrier air conditioner, Sikorsky Helicopter and Pratt&Whitney Airplane Engine. It has invested more than 450 million in China and has more than 30 cooperative and joint venture projects. UTC not only devotes large amounts of capital into Chinese market, bringing with it sophisticated and high-quality products, but also supports the public welfare projects which are conducive to China's social development. Over the years, UTC has sponsored many such kind of projects for China's universities and communities. In line with the reemployment projects of Beijing Municipal Government and at the suggestion of Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, UTC generously donate for the free training of unemployed women to help them master new knowledge and skills so that they can be reemployed. This will on one hand solve the living problem of the unemployed women and on the other hand provide high-qualified workers to the vocational markets which are in short supply such as household management workers and housekeepers.

    Being the largest district of Beijing, Chaoyang District has a large number of unemployed women. The government of Chaoyang District attaches great importance to the reemployment work and set up a special leading group in this respect. In the first half of this year, over 6,000 unemployed women in the district received vocational guidance. Entrusted by Chaoyang Labor and Social Security Bureau, Chaoyang Vocational School provides free reemployment training to the unemployed women. In accordance with their gender characteristics, group features and the community job demand and supply situation, the school offers the following vocational training: household service, baby care takers, family management, beauty treatment, hairdressing, hand knitting, flower arrangement, sanitation, health care, massage and computer application. The training period varies from 8 days to two and a half months. Those who pass the training will be conferred vocational certificate and qualifications by the country. In recent years, the school has adopted many flexible means such as job-oriented training with a passing rate of 60%. The trainees went to various posts after the training process.

    Under this project, the unemployed women in Chaoyang District can register nearby and choose the type of job for training after which they will be recommended to the vocational school by street job recommendation offices. The school will sign a job-oriented training contact with some companies before the training starts in order to ensure the reemployment rate. Besides, the school will set up a special scholarship to provide free training opportunities for those excellent trainees with a wish to receive further training.

    This donation project is initiated by China-US People's Friendship Association.