BEIJING — China's Ministry of Education (MOE) will expand channels for college graduates to pursue further education or find jobs amid the COVID-19 epidemic.

The country's bachelor's degree programs will expand enrollment and will be geared toward sectors that serve the national strategies and those that are urgently needed for people's wellbeing, according to a circular issued by the MOE.

Universities and colleges will admit more junior college students this year, said the circular.

To facilitate the employment of college graduates, the country will expand recruitment in senior high schools and kindergartens where teachers are urgently needed, and encourage more graduates to find jobs or start businesses in sectors including modern agriculture and social public services.

College graduates will also be encouraged to join the military, according to the circular.

Online job fairs will be unveiled to facilitate job-seeking, it said, adding that graduates from virus-battered Hubei province will enjoy preferential policies in employment and further education.

China expects to see a total of 8.74 million college graduates this year, data from the MOE showed.