Shenzhen hostel offers free week for graduates

A hostel in Shenzhen has started to offer free accommodation for fresh graduates looking for work in the southern metropolis.

Futian Youth Hostel, which opened last month, has space for up to 24 job-seekers, and the maximum stay is seven days.

"We decided to start the project to cater to the sheer number of young people heading to the city, as well as to attract more talent here," said Li Jie, deputy secretary-general of the Futian Youth League.

"We provide maps and recruitment information for every graduate," he said. "Even after they have checked out, we will continue to send them updates to their cellphones until they find a job."

The hostel, in downtown Futian district, is a commercial guesthouse with 50 rooms, three of which are reserved for the free service. Each has a small desk, a bathroom, air-conditioning and free Wi-Fi.

Tens of thousands of graduates flock to Shenzhen every year. However, many complain of the high cost of accommodation. They also raise concerns about safety in an unfamiliar city.

Liang Yuping, who graduated this year with a biotech degree, moved in on Wednesday. She said she is looking for a job with a pharmaceutical company.

"The hostel is close to a supermarket, restaurants and bus stops. It's very convenient and safe to stay here," said the 24-year-old from the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. "It would be better if we could stay longer than seven days, though, because there is no guarantee of finding a job in a week."

Li said the hostel can only offer a temporary place to ensure availability.

"It also conforms to the hostel's policy, to help people who most need it to know about Shenzhen and find work," he said.

"The hostel is still in the test phase," he added. "We may expand and make some changes in the future."

Chen Wenli contributed to this story.