China's largest economic center, Shanghai, is undertaking a massive campaign to improve the capabilities of its workers.

Officials with the local workers' union said that by year 2005, 10 percent of the front-line workers should bear certificates from colleges for professional training or technical secondary schools, and half of the employees have at least one certificate on
computer application, information technology or applied English.

Shanghai is seeing the improvement of citizens' abilities as a major measure to improve the comprehensive competitiveness of the city.

Currently, technicians and senior technicians only account for 1.9 percent of the total work force.

Shanghai has planned to promote education on computers at vocational schools and night schools.