Dozens of students from Bijie, a poverty-stricken city in Guizhou province, have secured jobs at a port in Guangzhou after studying for two years at a technical school and undergoing another year of training by Guangzhou Port Group.

The 34 students will work as technicians in a large-scale mechanical equipment operation at the Port of Guangzhou.

The students' employment was part of a cooperation agreement between the governments of Bijie and Guangzhou, which was signed in 2017 to help families in Bijie overcome poverty.

"The mechanism is an efficient way to help students from low-income families in Bijie find jobs after graduation," said Li Yibo, Party chief and chairman of the Guangzhou Port, one of the largest comprehensive shipping ports in South China.

Under the program, students study for two years at Bijie Vocational and Technical College and then receive training at the Guangzhou Port Vocational and Technical School for another year.

About 150 students will be trained by the end of 2020, helping increase the per capita income of their families to between 60,000 yuan ($8,500) and 100,000 yuan, the company said.