IN-SERVICE TRAINING
88. Since 1962, the Department has been organizing in-service and refresher social welfare training courses for the staff employed in voluntary agencies as well as various Government Departments, includ- ing those engaged in day and residential work with children, family welfare services, probation and aftercare services for young people, rehabilitation of the disabled. The basic courses generally last five months (on a week a month basis) and refresher courses are compara- tively shorter. Administrators and supervisors from voluntary agencies continued to give their support in the joint planning and evaluation of the programmes and in providing speakers on special subjects.
89. During the year 40 social workers attended two introduction courses on social work given at two levels: for Welfare Assistants with secondary school education and for graduates without professional training. 38 Nursery Workers attended introduction to Nursery Work courses. Two refresher courses were organized for 77 nursery super- visors and workers.
90. A six-week basic course for full time youth workers was pro- vided during the period from April to November 1969. This course, attended by 26 workers from 14 agencies, was designed to provide background knowledge and basic skills for youth workers who had no previous training. The Training staff met with representatives of voluntary youth service agencies to assess the training needs on which the curricula of the course were built.
91. The Foundation Stone of The Lady Trench Day Nursery and Training Centre was laid on the 1 May 1969 by Dr the Hon P. H. TENG, Director of Medical and Health Services. The Centre is designed to augment the Department's various training programmes for social welfare workers. Sir Shiu Kin TANG, CBE, LLD, JP, has supported the project with a generous donation of $800,000 in meeting half of its construction costs. A grant of $1,250,000 from the Lotteries Fund helped towards the construction and the equipment of the Centre. The Centre is expected to be ready for occupation in April 1970.
STAFF TRAINING
92. 3 orientation courses were given to 76 newly employed staff including 30 Welfare Assistants and 46 Assistant Social Welfare Officers.
25