China plans to strengthen its army of social workers by creating 1.45 million jobs by the end of 2020.

Meanwhile, the government will outsource some social services to about 80,000 grassroots organizations to encourage them to play a more active role in helping vulnerable groups including migrant workers, HIV/AIDS carriers, the unemployed and the elderly.

The decision, released on April 26 by 19 government departments including the Ministry of Civil Affairs, is part of a 10-year plan focused on cultivating social workers.

The outline also said that the government will work hard to provide better social services in rural areas by training 50,000 social work professionals and set up 200 social work stations in poverty-stricken regions by the end of 2020.