EMPLOYMENT
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Employment opportunities overseas for Hong Kong Chinese are limited on account of the strict controls which most countries maintain over the entry of foreign nationals seeking employment. The number of workers who went overseas during the year was 2,650, compared with 2,643 in the previous year and 2,368 in 1967. Few of these workers were accompanied by dependants.
Permission to work in Britain is given by the British Department of Employment and Productivity through the Labour Department. During the year 939 permits and vouchers were issued, including five to Commonwealth citizens seeking unspecified employment, 310 to local people of British nationality going to specific jobs, and 624 to local residents of non-British nationality.
The British Phosphate Commission recruited through a local agent 170 workers for Nauru and Ocean Islands as compared with 105 in the previous year. Re-engagement contracts, as required under the Contracts for Overseas Employment Ordinance, numbered 1,017.
The local Employment Advisory Service provides a placement service introducing job seekers to prospective employers and vice versa. During the year the Service registered 12,011 workers, recorded 3,295 employers' orders for workers, and placed 1,693 workers in employment.
The Youth Employment Advisory Service continued with the preparation of written information and on the sponsorship of talks to senior pupils in secondary schools. By the end of the year 30 leaflets in English had been prepared and issued. The translation of these into Chinese and their publication in a loose-leaf form as 'A Guide to Careers in Hong Kong' was being arranged.
INDUSTRIAL TRAINING
By the end of the year nine reports from industrial committees had been endorsed by the Government-appointed Industrial Training Advisory Committee and had been forwarded for consideration. Each of the industrial committees has begun to consider other important aspects such as the drawing up of minimum job standards and specifications, examinations and certification of skills.