BEIJING — China has adopted multiple measures to help college graduates from the central province of Hubei — once hardest hit by the COVID-19 outbreak — find jobs and ensure overall employment stability, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said on Sept 28.

Efforts are being made to help fresh graduates from Hubei universities as well as graduates hailing from the province, Wang Hui, an official with the MOE told a press conference.

This year, a total of 449,000 students graduated from colleges in Hubei, and 371,000 fresh graduates nationwide are with Hubei origin, Wang said.

These students will get preference in recruitment policies and will be offered quotas in recruitments for some community-level service programs as well as in the military, government and public institutions, and State-owned companies, Wang said.

In addition, 124 universities across China have paired with the ones in Hubei to share job information and offer employment counseling. The arrangement has already helped 13,000 graduates find jobs, the official said, adding that the ministry also organized online job fairs for graduates of Hubei universities.

According to Wang, universities have been asked to put special emphasis on assisting Hubei students in job hunting and offer them tailored guidance.