A talent acquisition campaign in Fengtai, one of Beijing’s six core districts, was launched in July, accompanied with a series of events such as a talent conference held on a Monday.

August and September will see more activities featuring Fengtai interns, campus open days and alumni return days. A group of support facilities such as a youth entrepreneurship salon and youth entrepreneurship and employment service station will be rolled out.

Prior to this, some introducing activities have been ongoing, such as the “Students Returning Home” WeChat app and the opening of the “Students Returning Home” hotline, as well as the unveiling of 90 talent stations.

In recent days, people can see posters of “Welcome students back to Fengtai” on the streets of Beijing. At some bus stops, promotional videos are playing on electronic screens, which show the longing for talent and development in the district.

Faced with an accelerating pace of technological revolution and industrial transformation, economic and social development has a greater desire for talents than before. How to retain talents has become an important aspect for Fengtai to achieve high-quality development.

At the talent conference, 49 talent teams and 30 special talent teams were selected for the Fengze Plan. They will be given support in terms of career development, personal growth and social security service.

The selected talents come from various industries, including the four leading industries of finance, technology, culture and commerce in Fengtai district, as well as important public services such as education and medical care.

Ning Yupeng, head of Beijing Zhyu Technologies, has been involved in the field of commercial cryptography and internet of things-supported technologies for many years. The company officially settled in Fengtai in early 2021.

“I was attracted by the industrial structure and industrial clustering in Fengtai,” Ning said. For him, being selected for the Fengze Plan is not only an incentive but a validation of his decision to move the company to Fengtai.

The company is located in Lize Financial Business District, which is regarded as the capital’s second financial district. As of June 25, the number of settled enterprises in Lize reached 1,048. Financial and technology enterprises account for more than 70 percent of the total.

Ning learned that several enterprises in the field of commercial cryptography had settled here before his move and the industry has shown a trend of concentration. Moving the company here would make it easier for cooperation and the company’s growth.

“The policies of talent and tax rebates in Fengtai are particularly attractive. These industrial policies give companies more confidence in recruitment, employment and retention,” Ning said. He added that Fengtai’s investment promotion policies were inspiring and he could feel the pragmatic working style of government departments.

As one of the series of activities under the campaign, on July 4, Fengtai district opened 90 talent stations, which provide services such as policy consultation, conference and exhibition space, leisure and entertainment, and business negotiations for enterprises and talents.

On the opening day, the station located in Zhongguancun Fengtai Science Park received the first group of students for a visit. With spacious and comfortable negotiation venues and rich and detailed policy displays, companies and talents in the park can make appointments to use the multifunctional conference area and guest lounge for negotiations.

This talent station is located centrally, making it convenient for companies in the park. The spacious area, expanding more than 1,000 square metres, has abundant natural light. The bright colour scheme creates a relaxed atmosphere, which is suitable for business negotiations.

On July 3, the “Students Returning Home” mini-app was launched on WeChat. It collects talent’s needs such as recruitment, internships, housing, cooperation and investment. It integrates platforms for industry project cooperation, innovative entrepreneurship and investment matching, and the student volunteer service.

This year, the number of college graduates in China reached a record high of 11.58 million, raising the issue of graduate employment. During the graduation season, Fengtai district will organise innovative online and offline recruitment activities such as a “job fair night market and “livestreaming job introduction” to provide better services.

Fengtai district has signed cooperation agreements with eight universities — including Peking University, Tsinghua University, Renmin University of China, Beijing Normal University — and six enterprises to establish innovation and practice bases, and cooperated with experts from nine key educational institutions to provide guidance for students.

In recent years, Fengtai district has provided comfortable and affordable housing for various talents through means such as guaranteed rental housing. Currently, more than 1,900 sets of housing have been allocated to key enterprises in the district.

Earlier this year, Fengtai district launched its first pilot housing project for new graduates. The complex has well-equipped facilities including a gym, communal kitchen, meeting room and reading area, meeting the needs of young people.

For foreign talents working in China, Fengtai district has designated a window in the government service centre to provide an exclusive one-stop service point.

In April, Beijing Fengtai International Talent Development Group was established in the district. The group operates in a market-oriented manner and collaborates with government, institutions and enterprises to jointly promote talent policies.

Sun Yingqi, a graduate of Peking University, works in Fengtai. In her opinion, Fengtai is a place that encourages and protects innovation, and is full of vitality and energy.

After graduating from Renmin University of China, Liu Yingran came to work in Fengtai. She said that choosing Fengtai means she can integrate her dreams into the development layout of the region.