China is recruiting its first college undergraduates majoring in marriage services in an effort to bridge the gap in talent supply for high quality wedding services.

Vocational University of Civil Affairs (formerly Beijing College of Social Administration), a new entity affiliated to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, will enroll 70 freshmen from across the country this year to study marriage service and management, with courses ranging from family ethics and wedding planning to the design of online matchmaking products.

The students will also have internship opportunities for periods of at least six months in institutions specializing in matchmaking, marriage registration, wedding planning and marriage counseling. Upon graduation, qualified students will receive bachelor's degrees in management.

Yu Xiaohui, dean of the marriage culture and media arts school at the university, says the course is a response to social needs, with China attaching greater importance to building happy families at a time when the country is still short of education options for those wanting to offer marriage-related professional counseling services.

In 2020, China issued a set of guidelines instructing civil affairs authorities to develop premarital counseling courses and improve mechanisms for family dispute mediation and divorce counseling. According to a resolution adopted last month at the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the country will improve the systems for facilitating population development and providing related services.

The university, China's first to offer undergraduate studies in the civil affairs sector, was founded in June this year upon approval from the Ministry of Education. Developed from a vocational school, it plans to recruit around 500 students for five majors including marriage services, elderly care and funeral management.

Yu says the school's existing marriage-related program for junior college students focuses primarily on wedding services, mainly preparing the students for wedding planning and marketing as well as other technical posts such as photographers and makeup artists.

"The undergraduate education will hopefully boost the quality of full-cycle marriage services from matchmaking to marriage counseling and make up for the gap in market supply for such high-level talent," Yu adds.

Experts believe changes in social perceptions of marriage and wedding customs will open broad employment prospects for marriage major students, despite falling marriage rates.

Lin Xianping, a researcher with Hangzhou City University, says Chinese people are now more focused on the quality of marriage and family life than previous generations, creating a market need for upgraded wedding services.

Researchers suggest college graduates take on the roles of premarital and marriage counseling and gradually build up work experience and skills, in addition to working for civil affairs departments and community-level management offices. The university also promised to make recommendations for the students when they enter the job market.

The university is partnering with industry leaders to improve curriculum design and build training camps — with input from both the industrial and education sectors.

Wang Tao, president of Baihejiayuan, an internet date arranging company that is planning strategic cooperation with the university, voices hope that the move could improve the professional skills and work ethics of those employed in the love and marriage-related industry. The company is in urgent need of employees with professional backgrounds.

Besides education, experts also note the importance of enhancing legislation and supervision to curb fraud and raise public understanding of marriage and family dynamics.

Xinhua