Qingdao boosts its appeal to young professionals with 28 new policies to improve employment and entrepreneurship. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Qingdao is boosting its appeal to young professionals with 28 new policies to improve employment and entrepreneurship. By boosting incentives, changing recruitment methods, and improving the talent ecosystem, the city aims to attract and keep young talent.

At a recent State-owned enterprise job fair in the city, nearly 70 companies from key sectors like information technology, green energy, and smart manufacturing offered over 200 positions, drawing many job seekers. Among them was Liu Chaohuan, a recent graduate from Qingdao University of Science and Technology.

"Since my major is ocean-related, I'm looking for a job that matches my background," said Liu, who checked out companies like Qingdao Shipyard Co Ltd and Cosco Shipping (Qingdao).

He said Qingdao has many top companies in the marine industry with good prospects, which is why he has always seen the city as his top job choice.

This year, over 520 job fairs have been held in Qingdao, offering 285,000 positions across key sectors like information technology, green energy, and smart manufacturing. Platforms like Qinggang Youpin have listed 17,000 top jobs, helping match graduates with top companies.

In the first half of the year, Qingdao organized 17 recruitment events in eight cities, including Xi'an and Wuhan, going to top universities with over 10,000 job openings. The city also engages with overseas talent — a recent youth carnival for overseas returnees drew over 560 participants from 260 universities worldwide.

Qingdao has also expanded its team of "overseas campus talent ambassadors" to 150 members, covering 90 universities in 21 countries and regions, further strengthening its global talent network.