Chapter 2295
Because the economy in Guangzhou is relatively developed, there are actually many private academies. There are as many as five or six well-known academies in and around Guangzhou. In the spring and autumn of each year, these colleges sometimes release enrollment information on the market to recruit new students.
However, traditional academies basically rely on their long-term local reputation to attract students, and rarely use professional publicity methods to build momentum for the academy. For these colleges, the best way to attract new students is whether they can have students pass the provincial examination every year.
Of course, it was difficult for the operators of these academies to understand how an academy that did not focus on imperial examinations could run a school in the Ming Dynasty.
Qiongxi Academy is naturally regarded as the first-class private educational institution in Haihan. However, its influence is basically limited to the areas under Haihan's rule. It is not well-known in Guangzhou. The vast majority of people are not familiar with it. This academy, which made a lot of publicity when it first appeared, feels very strange.
The promotional notice of Qiongxi Academy did not mention the number of masters who were awarded the gold list in the history of the academy. Instead, it stated its characteristics simply and crudely: students who come to the academy can learn a subject capable of Skills to support a family, and the college will ensure students employment.
In addition, even students from poor families who cannot even raise tuition fees can sign up to study, and the college will advance tuition and living expenses, and repay them slowly through work-study programs.
Anyone with a discerning eye can understand at a glance that the admission targets of this academy are not scholars in the traditional sense at all, and it has no intention of training students to take the imperial examination. This means that there is no direct conflict between the students that John West College wants to attract and the local colleges. Those poor families who simply do not have enough wealth to support their children in studying and taking exams have never been the targets of local academies.
Since there is no direct conflict of interest, the various local colleges will not have a strong sense of crisis because of these admissions announcements, and they do not even intend to regard Qiongxi College as their competitors. This is actually invisible. This reduces a lot of pressure from the outside for the Guangzhou branch, which is still in the preparatory stage.
This is also one of the publicity strategies Zhang Jinbao discussed with Li Nai before. If Qiongxi Academy wants to gain a foothold in an unfamiliar environment like Guangzhou, it must make a name for itself in a big way, but this can easily attract the attention of its peers. Then there may be some overt or covert attempts to cause trouble. Zi's methods are directed at the Guangzhou branch. Therefore, it has become an important feature of the Guangzhou Branch’s early enrollment promotion to clearly state the college’s educational purpose from the beginning and avoid unnecessary conflicts of interest with local colleagues.
However, this kind of enrollment promotion for the lower class people in society is very likely to fail to achieve the desired effect due to the literacy rate of the people. Therefore, in addition to overwhelming enrollment notices in Guangzhou, Li Nai also sent some people to the city Conduct on-site publicity activities both internally and externally.
As the person in charge of this cooperation project, Zhang Jinbao naturally had to participate in it personally. When he was in Danzhou, he would go to various counties and even villages and towns to give admissions promotions almost every year. This promotion model was actually his idea, and he was very familiar with it.
What is vocational training and education is still a very unfamiliar concept to people of this era. It is difficult to explain clearly in a few sentences in a short time. What’s more, the target audience is still not very educated and may not even be able to write their own names. The lower-level people who came out. Therefore, Zhang Jinbao's strategy is simple and concise, going straight to the point - go to Qiongxi College to learn the art of eating, and you will not have to worry about livelihood problems in the future.
Of course, in order to create a lively atmosphere at the scene, Zhang Jinbao will also arrange for some people to pretend to be onlookers, ask some explosive questions in a timely manner, and then answer them on the spot himself.
For example, someone asked at the moment: "How much income can I make in the future if I study the course at your college?"
"The level of income still depends on the skill level, but as long as you can complete your studies, you will earn one hundred and eighty taels of silver in the next year! And you don't have to worry about finding a job after leaving the academy. Our academy is from We are responsible for the entire process from admission to employment, ensuring that every student who graduates from Qiongxi Academy will have an excellent future! ”
Zhang Jinbao’s answer was resounding, and the crowd of onlookers was suddenly shocked. For ordinary people, especially those who rely on selling their labor force in exchange for income, it is basically impossible for their annual income to reach the level mentioned by Zhang Jinbao. Even if it is halved, it is enough to make people laugh. Envious.
This income level even exceeds that of a considerable number of scholars. You must know that if you fail to obtain a merit recognized by the government in the imperial examination, even if you study hard for ten years, it will be difficult to find a high-paying job. Most of you can only sell letters on the street or be an elementary school teacher, which is miserable. Just enough to make ends meet.
Immediately, someone spoke up, questioning that the income level given by Zhang Jinbao was not within the reach of ordinary people, thinking that he was bragging.
Zhang Jinbao said: "Everyone, I have to say that some people can only recognize the world within a five-foot radius of themselves, but are completely ignorant of what happens outside this range. One hundred and eighty taels a year Is the income of money very impressive? That’s not necessarily true! The professionals trained by our Qiongxi Academy can earn a hundred and eighty taels of silver a month.”
Someone in the crowd responded: "Can you tell everyone what kind of job is so profitable?"
Zhang Jinbao said: "I didn't say that this money is easy to earn. Again, high income must be obtained by one's ability. For example, experienced shipbuilders, the salaries offered by several major shipyards in Haihan Kingdom are all It’s more than a hundred taels of silver per month. If you don’t believe it, you can go find out for yourself!”
The most effective way for organizations like shipyards to recruit people in the Ming Dynasty is of course extremely high wages. Recruitment notices for several senior positions will be posted in places like Yaxing all year round, attracting craftsmen from the Ming Dynasty to apply. Of course, there are actually very few talents who can meet the technical requirements for high-level positions, and the technical level of the vast majority of applicants is only enough to be an ordinary shipwright. However, the income they can get when they go to Haihan will definitely be better than what they would get if they stayed there. In Daming, many people still chose to go to Haihan for development.
Of course, it is impossible for a graduate of Qiongxi Academy to earn an income of one hundred taels a month. Zhang Jinbao played a word game here, but what he said was so conclusive that no one doubted it at the moment.
But even a monthly income of ten taels of silver is enough to tempt many poor families. In this era, learning a craft is not something you can learn anywhere. To become an apprentice in various workshops, it takes at least three years to start. To learn the real skill, it may take ten, eight or even longer years. time. As for the various professional subjects offered by Qiongxi Academy, it takes no more than two years to graduate, and then you can get the high-paying job advertised by Zhang Jinbao. Where can you find such a good thing?
At that moment, someone asked: "What majors can be learned in the academy?" Zhang Jinbao said: "The academy we set up in Guangzhou will be divided into several major fields: navigation, trade, manufacturing, and agricultural technology. There will be multiple majors, and students can choose the major they are interested in when registering. If they are undecided, we will also recommend a suitable major based on the individual's specific situation. Once again, as long as they can complete their studies, we will ensure the follow-up. You don’t have to worry about finding a job after completing your studies. Every academic fee paid to the academy will receive the best return!”
"Then can I enroll in your academy at any time?"
“The Guangzhou branch of our school is still stepping up preparations and is expected to officially open in another month. However, due to limited teaching space, there will be a quota limit for the first batch of students we enroll. It is expected that the upper limit will not exceed three 100 people. So if you are interested in this, it is best to register and pay the tuition early. If you miss this opportunity, you may have to wait a long time for the next enrollment!
The way Zhang Jinbao yelled hard was as hard as any hard-working businessman. He is well aware of ordinary people's preference for "limited" settings, so he specifically emphasized the number limit on the academy's enrollment during the publicity stage to enhance the audience's sense of urgency. This will also encourage those who are hesitant or on the sidelines. People with attitude make decisions faster so as not to miss opportunities.
Of course, due to the current admission scale of the Guangzhou branch, the academy's first batch of enrollment can only be controlled at this number. However, according to Zhang Jinbao's idea, if the final number of applicants is larger than the size of the branch school, he does not want to give up the extra people.
According to the previous experience of running a school in Danzhou, some poor children who cannot afford to pay tuition will sign up every year. Basically, these people can only use their work-study income to deduct living expenses and tuition after enrollment. The publicity target of Qiongxi Academy It is the lower class of society. Not surprisingly, there should be many such special students in Guangzhou.
The college will definitely give priority to those who can pay the tuition in full. As for the poor students who exceed the limited number, Zhang Jinbao plans to open a special admission channel for them, allowing them to choose whether they are willing to go to Danzhou to enroll. . If you are willing to go, the hospital can pay for food, accommodation and travel expenses, and advance a series of expenses after admission.
According to statistics from the Haihan Civil Affairs Department, more than 90% of Ming Han people who moved to Haihan when they were young ended up staying in Haihan and naturalized as Haihan people. Therefore, if we can attract some young immigrants to settle in Danzhou through enrollment, it will be regarded as responding to the national call, and this measure will definitely be supported by Danzhou officials, and will also be beneficial to the future development of Qiongxi Academy .
But having said all that, Zhang Jinbao still has to come up with convincing evidence. Otherwise, how can he, a foreigner, convince the public of his ability to run a school?
This credential is Fulifeng. At the end of every publicity event, Zhang Jinbao will emphasize that Qiongxi Academy's only partner in Guangzhou is Fulifeng Company, and it is also part of the academy's professional employment direction.
With Fulifeng's well-known reputation in Guangdong, naturally no one will question the educational strength of Qiongxi Academy. What's more, after completing some majors, you can work in Fulifeng, which also confirms Zhang Jinbao's claim that you will have high income after completing your studies.
According to the college's publicity notice, the employment opportunities after completion of studies are far more than just Furifeng's family. Various commercial organizations affiliated with Qiong Lianfa, the largest private business group in the Nanhai region, will also be potential employers of the college.
Judging from Zhang Jinbao's connections and the influence of Qiongxi Academy, this propaganda is a bit boastful. However, Zhang Jinbao believes that the Danzhou government will endorse him behind his back. There is no harm in bragging about this bullshit. . After all, the employment issue for college students has been solved quite well in recent years, so there is no need to worry that this claim will be blown.
For these activities that Zhang Jinbao did in Guangzhou, Li Nai would also send his stewards to the platform to show Furifeng's attitude to the people.
Due to sufficient preparation in advance and Zhang Jinbao’s relatively rich practical experience, the on-site effect of this kind of activity is quite good. Generally, after the publicity is over, people will come forward to inquire about more detailed admissions rules and school running. Condition.
Of course, such publicity activities are expensive. Just posting a large number of enrollment notices and making various advertising signs in Guangzhou and along the Pearl River have already spent seven to eight thousand taels. As for every on-site publicity event attended by Zhang Jinbao, there are a lot of things that need to be spent on during the entire process. Calculated, the cost must be at least two to three hundred taels of silver.
This part of the expenses can basically only be borne by Qiongxi Academy itself. Therefore, Zhang Jinbao also works extra hard in these activities. No matter how successful the enrollment is, he must at least build the reputation of the academy in the local area.
Since Qiongxi Academy launched such a large-scale propaganda in Guangzhou, the government has naturally noticed this trend. However, Li Nai had already said hello, so no one would be so ignorant as to look for trouble.
Although the Qiongxi Academy is said to be the property of the Haihan people, after all, Fulifeng is involved in this transaction, so it can be considered as Fulifeng's business after all. There are almost no officials in the local government, big or small, who have not received Fu Ruifeng's favor, so no one will jump out to embarrass him.
Of course, in addition to the government, Li Nai also had to deal with the three local religions in Guangzhou to prevent some blind gangsters from treating Zhang Jinbao as a foreign fat sheep. However, even if everyone has been informed, emergencies still need to be prepared, so part of the cost of each promotional event is actually security personnel costs.
(End of chapter)