i
{
2.57
-
40
The wider issue of industrial training and related
technical education is being influenced by the recommendations of
the Advisory Committee on Diversification (ACD), which was appointed
by the Governor to advise how the process of diversification of
the economy, with particular reference to the manufacturing sector,
could be facilitated. On the difficult question of financing
additional training schemes the Hong Kong Training Council (HKTC)
(which advises on the measures necessary to ensure a comprehensive
system of manpower training geared to meet the developing needs of
Hong Kong's economy) advocated a general levy on exports or on
imports and exports. The ACD on the other hand recommended in
its report that this should be a charge on general revenue. It has
now been agreed by the Governor in Council that the government should
accept this commitment as a charge on general revenue, with certain
provisos (the most important being that the government subvention
should be in the form of a block grant to the HKTC or to a new
Training Authority, which would assume a role similar to that of
the University and Polytechnic Grants Committee (q.v.), so as to
achieve maximum flexibility furthermore, commitments would be
accepted by the government to permit forward planning). Legislation
to achieve this is to be introduced during 1980-81.
2.58 Technical institutes
There are now five technical
institutes in operation and a sixth is scheduled for completion in
1984-85. All are under the administrative control of the Education
Department. Courses are provided on a full-time, block-release,
part-time day-release and evening basis. Each institute has five
teaching departments. Subjects such as electrical engineering,
in which there is a heavy demand for skilled manpower, are offered