The prolonged economic slump has, paradoxically, led to flourishing trade at a variety of vocational schools around the country.
Unemployed people -- as well as active members of the workforce who harbor concerns over the future -- have been at pains to obtain government-certified qualifications amid the slump.
The number of people attending schools of this kind shot up after the government launched a subsidy system in December 1998 aimed at supporting individuals who hope to find new jobs by acquiring additional skills.