Learning to be a civil servant

Training industry blossoms as students seek secure employment

When Chen Chen paid out nearly 2,000 yuan last summer to prepare for the once-a-year civil servant entrance exam in November, he didn't realize he was helping to sustain a growing industry employing more than 100,000 staff.

The 23-year-old master graduate in media economics from a Beijing university, who enjoys politics and history, decided to take the risk because it was his dream to become a civil servant.