SHANGHAI, April 3 (Xinhua) -- In March, an unusual job fair unfolded at a university in Shanghai. Instead of anxious graduates scrambling for positions, eager employers competed for a limited pool of soon-to-be graduates.

More than 30 eldercare institutions presented over 100 vacancies, ranging from nursing home managers to individual healthcare consultants, for just 40 students with a bachelor's degree in eldercare services management from Shanghai University of Engineering Science (SUES).

Wang Yi, a 2024 graduate from SUES's inaugural eldercare services management cohort, was familiar with this scene. At last year's recruitment fair, the 23-year-old girl and two classmates landed positions at a Shanghai-based health and eldercare company.

Now, nearly a year into the job at a retirement home, Wang has already built lasting bonds with the elderly residents in her care. She brews handcrafted coffee for one resident with a penchant for Americano and practices calligraphy with another who enjoys the art.

Wang and her peers also introduced board games, DIY crafts, short video production, and other activities popular among the younger generation into the residents' daily entertainment. Their presence, as a 93-year-old resident surnamed Chen put it, helps the seniors "forget their age."

"With their expertise and energy, these young professionals go beyond caregivers. They're changing the way we approach eldercare," said Xu Lu, director of the facility where Wang works.

According to Xu, Wang and other graduates are currently serving on the front lines as "reserve talent," with plans to groom them for future management roles.

The demand for professionals like Wang has become a defining issue in China's rapidly expanding eldercare sector.

In 2024, China's over-60 demographic exceeded 310 million, making up 22 percent of the population. Projections suggest that by 2035, this figure will surpass 400 million.

As more Chinese seniors seek a higher quality of life, eldercare services are evolving beyond medical and rehabilitative services to include emotional support, senior tourism, smart technology-assisted care, retirement finance, and personalized care planning. Meeting this demand calls for a highly skilled workforce.

Xu Qihua, president of the Shanghai association of senior care industry, pointed out that with most eldercare workers in their 40s and 50s, the sector urgently needs young professionals to improve overall management standards.

In 2019, China tried to address this issue by encouraging universities to offer eldercare-related undergraduate programs. In 2020, SUES and Shandong Women's University pioneered such degrees, enrolling about 100 students. Today, more than 300 institutions across the country have undergraduate programs related to senior care.

While vocational programs emphasize hands-on caregiving, eldercare services management degrees prepare graduates for leadership roles, said Luo Juan, who oversees program development at SUES. Graduates are expected to pursue careers as facility managers, eldercare planners, and policy advisors.

SUES's four-year program provides a well-rounded curriculum covering health economics, geriatric nutrition, financial management, and eldercare psychology, among other subjects, with nearly a third of the coursework devoted to internships and real-world experience.

"Our goal is to ensure that students are equipped with the tools to navigate the complexities of an evolving sector," Luo said.

Last year, the program at SUES boasted a 100 percent employment rate for its 33 graduates, with 80 percent securing positions in the eldercare sector. They earned an average monthly pay of around 7,500 yuan (about 1,043 U.S. dollars), 25 percent higher than the average first-year salary for Chinese undergraduates in 2023.

This year, demand has only grown with an even broader range of employers participating in the recruitment session at SUES. In addition to health and eldercare enterprises, public institutions, community-based services, and insurance firms are now competing for eldercare services management students.

The talent shortage has opened up strong opportunities for young professionals in the sector. According to Luo, one of the 2024 graduates has already been promoted to assistant director at a high-end private eldercare facility in Shanghai.

"We have received positive feedback from employers about our graduates. They're expected to move into mid-level management positions within three years," Luo shared.

MORE TO JOIN, MORE TO BE DONE

The increasing demand for qualified eldercare professionals has spurred a mindset shift in China. Once regarded as an unglamorous profession, eldercare is now being recognized for its value.

Ren Xiaoyan, who oversees the eldercare program at Qilu Medical University in Shandong Province, recalled a time when parents were unsure about choosing the eldercare major.

"They would ask, 'Is this just a caregiving job?'" said Ren. However, as the silver economy has boomed in the past few years, more families are beginning to see eldercare as a promising and rewarding career.

At SUES, the program has seen a meteoric rise in applications -- from 34 percent of slots filled in 2020 to a staggering 126 percent in 2024. Some students have even volunteered to transfer into the program. Shandong Women's University, meanwhile, welcomed 473 new students in its eldercare-related programs in 2024, up from just 64 in 2020.

Universities are even considering postgraduate degrees in the discipline. "The eldercare industry is a blue ocean," Luo asserted. "We want to ensure our graduates are at the forefront of this transformation."

Yet, for all its growth, the eldercare industry in China faces an ongoing challenge. While the sector is attracting an increasing number of graduates, keeping them in the industry remains a struggle.

Industry watchers argue that better working conditions, higher salaries, and clear career paths are essential to sustaining the workforce.

"One indicator of a thriving industry is the number of young and highly educated professionals it attracts," noted Zhang Jingfeng from Renshoutang, a senior care service provider in Shanghai.

In 2024, Renshoutang offered new graduates management roles with starting salaries of nearly 10,000 yuan per month, plus a development package spanning three to five years with an expected salary of up to 30,000 yuan.

Still, broader structural reforms are needed. Experts call for standardized certifications for eldercare workers and regulations for emerging roles in senior care. "This would provide a clearer career roadmap, helping the industry attract and retain top talent," said Yue Liping of Sanda University in Shanghai.