The Shanghai World Expo organizer on Monday began to recruit 130 interns among local university graduates to assist the operation of the 2010 event.

The Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination signs contracts with the Shanghai Foreign Service Co and the Shanghai World Expo (Group) Co Ltd.  

More than 300 students applied on the first day.

They will be employed in 28 areas which will include secretarial work, archive management, marketing, construction, legal services and public relations.

They will work for the Expo organizer in the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, the national pavilions or government institutions on the Expo site.

Local unemployed graduates, including those from neighboring provinces but who are local university graduates, between 20 and 25, are eligible.

English speaking and writing abilities are needed for most of the positions.

The interns are required to work from this September to the end of the Expo in October next year.

Interns can leave work if they find new jobs, but need to give a month's notice, Zhuang Meichun, deputy director of the Shanghai Foreign Service Co, said.

The company, a human resources service provider, Monday signed a contract with the Expo bureau to hold the first round of interviews.

The Expo bureau will conduct final interviews at the end of next month.

Training of the interns is due to begin in August.

Potential candidates can apply online at http://jianxi.efesco.com/jianxi/index.jsp.

The organizer will recruit another 1,000-or-so interns at the end of the year. About 2,000 interns will be recruited altogether.

Xu Weiguo, deputy Party chief of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, said the organizer will grant certifications and write recommendations for the Expo interns for their future careers.

The company will hold a careers fair after Expo to recommend Expo interns to companies, Zhuang said.