EDUCATION
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period may be shortened by any period not exceeding one year if the apprentice has obtained relevant special qualification before entering into an apprenticeship.
The Apprenticeship Section of the Technical Education and Industrial Training De- partment is responsible for administering the ordinance. Its duties include advising and assisting employers in the training and employment of apprentices, ensuring that the training is properly carried out, helping to resolve disputes arising out of registered contracts and co-operating with educational institutes to ensure that apprentices receive the necessary complementary technical education. Courses of instruction for apprentices, normally on a part-time day-release basis, are provided at the Hong Kong Polytechnic and technical institutes.
To enforce the ordinance, inspectors of the Apprenticeship Section conduct inspections and visits at regular intervals to apprentices and establishments covered by the ordinance. Apprenticeship contracts registered in 1990 totalled 5280, of which 960 were for non- designated trades. These contracts covered 4620 craft apprentices and 660 technician apprentices. By the end of the year, 10900 apprentices were being trained in accordance with the ordinance.
Vocational Training for the Disabled
The Technical Education and Industrial Training Department provides vocational training for disabled persons. It operates three government skills centres for the disabled including the new Tuen Mun Skills Centre for the Disabled and administers another three centres operated by voluntary agencies. The total capacity of these six centres is 772 training places, of which 288 are provided with residential facilities. These skills centres offer two broad groups of courses. The first and major group prepares disabled persons for open employment while the second group prepares them for mainstream technical education and industrial training.
In addition to this training the department also provides three main support services for disabled students/trainees in the skills centres, technical institutes and industrial training
centres.
First, the Vocational Assessment Service assesses a disabled person's potential and provides guidance in the selection of a suitable vocational training course. The assessments are based on internationally-recognised test batteries, in addition to work samples which are designed to meet local industrial requirements. The main vocational assessment pro- grammes offered are a five-day version for all mildly mentally-disabled school leavers and an eight-week version for the more complex assessment cases.
Second, the Technical Aids and Resource Centre designs and makes technical aids for disabled trainees, students or workers. The aim is to improve their training attainments, employment prospects and productivity. The centre also produces audio-visual training packages.
Third, the Inspectorate Unit gives advice to skills centres on administration, curriculum development, instructional methods and training standards. It also provides guidance and academic counselling to disabled students/trainees in the technical institutes and industrial training centres.
The department's annual employment survey of disabled students/trainees completing full-time courses in technical institutes and skills centres showed that over 85 per cent of these leavers either obtained open employment or entered mainstream technical education.