EMPLOYMENT
Careers Service
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The Youth Employment Advisory Service of the Labour Department is engaged in a programme of activities geared to helping students and young people choose a career best suited to their interests and abilities. In 1984, officers of the service gave 612 careers talks to 110 761 students in 254 secondary schools, organised seven regional careers conventions in conjunction with the Hong Kong Association of Careers Masters, took part in 35 other careers-oriented activities, and mounted the 13th large-scale annual careers exhibition at the City Hall which attracted 100 300 visitors. The service has altogether produced 42 pamphlets giving careers information on a wide range of jobs.
The service operates three careers information centres, each equipped with a reference library as well as slides, video-cassette recordings and cassette recordings on employment and training opportunities. In 1984, some 38 196 students and young people visited the
centres.
The service also organised training programmes for careers teachers, in co-operation with the Education Department.
Overseas Employment
The Contracts for Overseas Employment Ordinance controls contracts entered into in Hong Kong between overseas employers, or their authorised representatives, and manual workers proceeding overseas for employment. Such contracts must be attested by the Commissioner for Labour before the workers leave Hong Kong. During the year, 834 contracts were attested, compared with 185 in 1983.
Foreign Domestic Helpers
Administrative measures are in force to regulate the employment of domestic helpers recruited from overseas, mainly from the Philippines, under contracts that must be attested by the Labour Department. During the year, 19 883 such contracts were attested. The department is also responsible for conciliation of disputes between foreign domestic helpers and their local employers. During the year, 526 claims, 1 539 consultations and 37 933 enquiries were handled.
Employment Agencies
The Employment Agency Regulations made under the Employment Ordinance require all profit-making employment agencies to obtain a licence from the Commissioner for Labour before starting operation. During the year, the department issued 188 licences to employ- ment agencies dealing with local employment, and 24 to those catering for employment
overseas.
Industrial Safety
The Factory Inspectorate of the Labour Department is responsible for enforcing the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance and its subsidiary regulations. These provide for the safety and health of workers in factories, on building and engineering construction sites and at other industrial undertakings. Advice and assistance is given to management on guarding dangerous machinery parts, adopting safe working practices and laying out new factories to achieve a better working environment. The inspectorate also investigates industrial accidents and other dangerous occurrences.
The Construction Sites (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 1983, which provide for the better protection of persons, particularly with regard to working at height, came into