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Monday, October 22, 1973
TRAINING THE DISABLED BEFORE EMPLOYMET
The Job Placement Unit of the Social Welfare Department will
arrange special training for disabled persons if any prospective employers
wish to have them equipped with certain skills before employing then.
Mr. Chan Shiu-wing, Officer-in-charge of the Unit said today,
whenever possible disabled persons are given some basic training, depending
on disability, to prepare them for employment in factory jobs or other
types of work such as telephone operators.
"But if some employers need people with specific skills and are
willing to take in disabled persons, we will certainly help to arrange
their training."
Citing an example, he said eight blind persons were at present
receiving training on knotting fishing hooks at Wong Tai Sin Blind Welfare
Centre. "This was arranged by the Unit so that they will be employed by
a factory making fishing accessories."
The firm, Winpull Fishing Accessories Co. Ltd., has already taken
on four disabled persons a mentally retarded girl, a cured TB patient
and two formerly mentally ill persons.
These four were among 28 whom the Unit had placed in jobs during
September. They comprised seven cripples, four deaf, eight formerly mentally
ill patients, six mentally retarded and three cured TB patients.
One was given a job as a storekeeper, one as an ironing worker, one
as a telephone operator, one as a lift-operator, one as a watchman, one as
a machine sewing worker, two as polishing workers, three as packers, eight
as assemblers and nine as general workers.
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