The port city of Dalian has launched a set of new policies to attract more IT talent to the region.

Currently, there are over 60,000 IT professionals working in more than 700 IT companies in Dalian.

Xia Deren, mayor of Dalian, said, ‘If we can achieve an annual output value of 100 billion yuan in 2018, we will need 300,000 to 500,000 IT professionals. Obviously, there is a huge talent shortage.’

Dalian intends to build public facilities for training institutions, construct apartments for IT workers in the city, and provide subsidies for senior professionals in the industry. All to allow the further development of the Dalian Hi-tech Industrial Zone.

Xia Deren, mayor of Dalian, said, ‘The software and IT service outsourcing sector is developing rapidly in Dalian. However, the lack of talent is becoming a serious problem which restricts this development.’

The city’s software sector has on average seen an annual 68.2% rise over the last decade. Last year, its software sales revenue reached RMB21.5 billion ($3.14 billion), while the exports rose to $720 million.

Xia Deren described the initiative as ‘an extra-ordinary measure taken by the local government’.
Source: China Daily