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Urbanization Opening New Doors For Grads

The Central Economic Work Conference, held on Dec 15 and 16, set the tone for economic policies in 2013. According to a conference statement, urbanization is high on the government’s agenda.

According to Xinhua, China’s urbanization will release the full potential of domestic demand. The trend is expected to boost the job prospects of young people in the country. “Urbanization is a process that is occurring in nearly every developing city in the country. It will lead to a better quality of life for many people, and provide individuals with more job opportunities,” said Peng Wensheng, chief economist at China International Capital Corporation.

Here we list some promising industries to watch under the new urbanization trend.

Real estate & architecture

The construction of housing and city infrastructure, including water and energy supplies, will be a focal point of urban development as more people migrate to cities. “The urbanization level in China is only about 50 percent. We are short of designers and engineers in the booming city construction industry, so career prospects in real estate, urban planning and architecture are great,” said Huo Ke, dean of architecture in the College of Resources and Civil Engineering at Northeastern University.

This talent shortage has made urban planning and architecture one of the most high-paying majors for university graduates.But high rewards come at a price. Being an urban architect is a tough job that requires effective cooperation with co-workers in extremely demanding conditions. Ni Jun, 28, is a construction designer for China Construction First Building (Group) Corporation Limited. “I often stay on construction sites for two or three months. I have to climb 20 floors to check every detail,” he said. “In the summer I need to supervise workers directly under the hot sun.”

Public transportation

Public transportation is among the industries that will benefit most from urbanization. Engineers and designers in this field will play a big role. “Urbanization means better access to educational and medical resources in the city. But it also predicts less use of personal vehicles and more use of public transportation,” said Peng.

The mass construction of subways, bridges and highways is already on its way in major cities. Last month, four new subway lines came into operation in Beijing. “More cities are launching subway projects, which means we will have more contracts. We are crying out for more hands,” said Ma Tianyu, 31, an engineer with a German company that contributed to Beijing’s new subway lines.

Supply chains & retail

The fast, free flow of goods and services is a basic trait of an urbanized society. Expanding cities require more retail outlets to serve customers. Gao Shuang, 28, is a design manager at China Resources Vanguard Co Ltd in Shenzhen, which provides products and services to supermarkets. He said the number of staff in his department expanded from four to ten in the past year. The manager is still recruiting.

“In the past eight years we opened 30 high-end supermarkets in China,” said Gao. “In the next four years we plan to open another 50.”There are also other expanding areas, such as the environmental sector. Pollution is an issue plaguing many urbanized areas.

“Under these circumstances, environmental protection will be promising. The country needs to boostsustainable growth,” said Li Peilin, director of the sociological research center of the Chinese Social Sciences Academy.