Representatives from the management office of Kangqiao Street in Gongshu district, Hangzhou, and the law school at Zhejiang University City College, shake hands after signing a cooperation deal on May 9 to train skilled community workers. [Photo/ zj.zjol.com.cn]

Kangqiao Street in Gongshu district, Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, signed a cooperation deal with the law school at Zhejiang University City College on May 9 to train skilled community workers.

According to Qian Zhiwei, secretary of the Party Work Committee of Kangqiao Street, many community workers on the street lack expertise in grassroots-level governance.

"We teamed up with the university to learn from its advanced governance concepts and train skilled community workers," said Qian.

Qian added that the cooperation program enables college students to serve as community workers on the street, and allows for senior community workers to study further at university.

Many college students have been choosing to work as community workers as Hangzhou has increased salaries in the profession.

Liu Jing, deputy director of the public management department at the law school of Zhejiang University City College, said that nearly 15 percent of the department's graduates chose to work as community workers last year.

The cooperation program will offer diversified training to different groups of people. In the future, excellent community workers will be selected to go to the cities of Guangzhou and Shenzhen for exchanges.

Both sides also agreed to hold China's first forum on community work, providing a platform for community workers from across the country to discuss their expertise.