As a cooking training room recently opened in Shanghai Open University, it has welcomed a new batch of professional housemaids.

Li Huiqing, who is from Central China's Hunan Province and has been working as a housemaid for 6 years, is one of the new students. For Li, in the past, cooking all came from experience. It is the first time she has received systematic training in this aspect.

Like most people from Hunan, Li used to cook with countless spices and chilies, but the cooking course has changed her opinion of cooking. “After learning the course, I realized that simple food materials with a few seasonings can also make delicious dishes,” said Li.

Over the past three semesters, Li has not only studied how to make Chinese and western dishes and pastries, but also how to use various electrical appliances. In addition she has learned how to serve at banquets and parties, as well as practiced maternal and child care, psychology, and nursing care in a comprehensive training classroom.

Since the trial running of a major in Community Management and Service (Housekeeping Management) in 2012, the university has recruited nearly 2,500 learners with 59.8% being domestic staff and 19.6% managers of housework agencies.

In addition, maids who train other maids have also been one part of the source of students. Liu Qingou is a trainer from an agency company and learned how to cook various fish on the course. “Our clients are from many different places, and they prefer to employ maids who can cook their hometown dishes,” said Liu. “If I master the cooking, I can not only teach other maids in my company, but also improve the quality of my own life.”