EMPLOYMENT
136
Careers Guidance
The department's Careers Advisory Service is responsible for promoting careers education. It assists young people in choosing a career best suited to their talents, interests and abilities, and provides careers teachers with back-up information for conducting their careers guidance duties.
The service operates two careers information centres, each equipped with a reference library, an audio-visual unit and an enquiry service. To help disseminate the latest careers information, it produces written and audio-visual materials including careers pamphlets, job-sheets, slide presentations and films. All these materials are available to the public free of charge.
The service organises a wide range of activities to arouse the careers awareness of young people. In February, it joined hands with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council to stage the fourth Education and Careers Expo, which attracted more than 170 000 visitors. The 13th Careers Quiz for students, organised in November, attracted 140 512 participants. Throughout the year, it also organised seminars and student group visits to various commercial and industrial establishments.
Foreign Workers
The Immigration Department is responsible for controlling the entry of foreign workers. A foreigner may be permitted to work or invest in Hong Kong if he possesses a special skill, knowledge or experience of value to and not readily available in Hong Kong, or if he is in a position to make a substantial contribution to the economy. To maintain the territory's economic competitiveness, the department applies the policy in a flexible manner. Genuine businessmen and entrepreneurs are welcome to establish a presence in Hong Kong, bringing with them capital and expertise. Qualified professionals, technical staff, administrators and managerial personnel are also admitted with minimum formalities. During the year, 18 767 professionals and persons with technical, administrative or managerial skills from more than 60 countries were admitted for employment.
In response to a special need identified by the business sector, the government introduced a pilot scheme in April to enable local employers to bring in 1000 professionals and specialists from China. As the demand exceeded the 1 000 quota, applications had to be drawn by way of four ballot exercises, with 250 applications handled in each quarter.
Apart from persons with special expertise, employers could also import skilled workers and experienced operatives under the General Importation of Labour Scheme. In the 1994 scheme, the department received some 10 100 applications from employers, involving a total of 100 400 skilled workers and experienced operatives. A total of 2 400 workers were admitted under the scheme, bringing the total to 18 412.
In addition, to facilitate the construction of the new airport and related projects, contractors were allowed to bring in construction workers from overseas, on condition that the number of workers would not exceed 17 000 at any one time. During the year, 2310 workers were admitted, bringing the total to 5 128.
Foreign Domestic Helpers
The entry of foreign domestic helpers is subject to the conditions that they have experience in that field of work, that their employers are bona fide Hong Kong residents who are