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Education
As at December 2012, the Government has assisted 18 industries' in setting up Industry Training Advisory Committees (ITACs) covering about 45 per cent of Hong Kong's total labour force. A major task of each ITAC, which comprises key stakeholders from the industry concerned, is to draw up Specification of Competency Standards (SCS) for its sector, setting out the skills, knowledge and outcome standards required of employees in the sector's different functional areas, and enabling course providers to design training programmes to meet the sector's needs. SCSS are gaining wider acceptance by employers as useful guides for the development of in- house training and human resources management, such as staff recruitment and performance
assessment.
The Government has also developed a Recognition of Prior Learning mechanism under the QF to enable practitioners to obtain formal recognition for the knowledge, skills and experience they have acquired in the workplace, and facilitate further learning without the need to start from scratch.
Adult Education
In the 2012-13 school year, around 1,350 adult students enrolled on evening secondary courses at designated centres operated by Approved Course Providers under the Financial Assistance Scheme for Designated Evening Adult Education Courses. Eligible students obtained subsidies. under the scheme.
Quality Education Fund
Up to the end of the 2011-12 academic year, the Quality Education Fund had approved around $3.96 billion for some 8,200 projects to promote high quality education and schemes that recognise excellence in schools and teachers.
School-based Support Services
School-based support services aim to foster leadership at schools, in particular at the middle managers' level, widen the dissemination of informed practice to improve learning methods, teaching and assessment strategies in the classroom, and support professional learning among teachers. In the 2012-13 school year, the EDB is providing school-based support services, including those financed by the Education Development Fund, to 279 secondary schools, 415 primary schools, 20 special schools and 187 kindergartens/kindergarten-cum-child care centres.
The Regional Education Offices also offer school-based support services to schools in response to the needs of students, teachers, schools and other stakeholders they serve.
Support Measures for Non-Chinese Speaking Students
The Government is committed to encouraging and supporting early integration of non- Chinese speaking (NCS) students into the community, including facilitating their adaptation to the local education system and mastery of the Chinese Language. The Government has put in
1 Printing and Publishing; Watch and Clock; Chinese Catering; Hairdressing; Property Management; Electrical and Mechanical Services; Jewellery; Information and Communications Technology; Automotive; Beauty; Logistics; Banking; Import and Export; Testing, Inspection and Certification; Retail; Insurance; Manufacturing Technology (Tooling, Metals and Plastics) and Elderly Care Service.
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