BEIJING - China plans to recruit 17,000 college graduates to live and work in the country's western regions in 2012, up from last year's quota of 10,000.

"2012 is a key year for the deepening and consolidation of the country's Western Project. Local offices affiliated with the project should make more efforts to encourage graduates to apply for work in places where they are most needed," said Zhou Changkui, a senior official with the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC).

Zhou made the remark on Tuesday at a meeting for the volunteer campaign.

According to a statement released after the meeting, this year's volunteers can apply to work in seven sectors: basic education, agricultural technology, health care, grassroots youth work, social management and providing services in the Xinjiang and Tibet autonomous regions.

About 10,000 of this year's volunteers will serve in ethnic regions, said the statement.

According to the statement, project organizers are cooperating with the Ministry of Finance to create more favorable policies for the volunteers, such as increased subsidies and pension insurance.

Students can apply for the program from April 17 to May 25.