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ATA launches assistance operation for Sichuan earthquake victims
The devastating earthquake which measured 8.0 on the Richter Scale on May 12, 2008 in Sichuan province has claimed the lives of nearly 70,000 people and over 17,000 are still missing. National-scale rescue operations have been going on day and night in the quake area and generous donations pouring in from around the world.
As a responsible corporate citizen, ATA has also launched its rescue program for the quake victims:
- For candidates in the quake area scheduled to take the licensure examinations in May, ATA will schedule a separate examination free of charge
- Working together with local colleges and universities participating in ATA IT Education Program, ATA will waive the tuition and service fees for students who have been affected by the earthquake, such as those suffering from homelessness and loss of family, to support their study.
- ATA will donate to rebuild schools to provide with a safe and sound environment for the children in the quake area.
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China Banking Test breaks new record for test administration
On May 31, 2008, The Qualification Examination for China Banking Professionals took place in 406 ATA test centers in 81 cities across the country. With over 400,000 test candidates, the examination covers three subjects on Fundamentals, Risk Management and Personal Finance.
In order to meet the increasing test volume for this exam, another 20 cities opened up for the examination this year, making the total test centers to 406 with 3268 test labs, a new record high in history in administering the most tests in a single day
International certifications heated up in China
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Quick Facts about China
China revises 2007 GDP estimate up – Xinhua
China's statistics bureau raised its estimate for 2007 GDP growth to 11.9% from 11.4%. The service sector grew faster than expected at 12.6% last year, compared to an initial estimate of 11.4%.
FDI up 61% in first quarter – China Daily
Foreign investment in China continued to surge in the first quarter of this year. Realized foreign investment reached $27.4 billion during the first three months of the year, up 61.26 percent year-on-year. Income tax rates for domestic and foreign companies have been unified at 25 percent from this year, compared with the previous 33 percent for domestic companies and 15 percent for foreign firms.
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With China’s economic system merging with the world and the Chinese government vigorously enforcing its national occupational entry system, international certifications issued by overseas authorities are in increasing demand in the China market. A widely-recognized international certification at hand has become the “hard currency” for securing a job in multinational companies for Chinese job seekers.
The first overseas certification introduced into China back in 1998 was the OSTA – C&G jointly issued by the Chinese Ministry of Labor and Social Security and City & Guilds of London Institute for retailing industry. Today, various overseas certifications have landed in China that mostly concentrated in finance and IT areas, for example, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants(ACCA), Certified Internal Auditor(CIA), Institute of Certified Management Accountants(ICMA), International Finance Manager (IFM), American Institute of Certified Public Accountants(AICPA), SUN, Oracle, IBM and Microsoft certifications etc. However, other professions such as nursing and secretarial certifications have also set their footings in this huge market.
Although getting trained and certified for an imported certification is expensive, it is still popular because of the high expectation of landing on a high-paid job with an internationally recognized qualification. Job competition in China is fierce as a result of its huge population and disparity in development. According to statistics, over half of the candidates for overseas certifications are on-campus students looking for employment after graduation.
Induced by alluring commercial opportunities introduced by international qualifications, numerous training institutions have emerged including those from overseas. They are either government or privately sponsored, or authorized by the licensure authorities. Some universities have even established educational institutes dedicated for international professional educations to provide training and testing programs together with overseas licensure institutions and authorities. |
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