WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1976
TRADE GROUPS URGED TO BE MORE ACTIVE IN TRAINING ******
MAJOR TRADE ASSOCIATIONS WERE TODAY URGED TO PLAY A MORE ACTIVE ROLE IN THE TRAINING OF SKILLED MANPOWER NEEDED TO MAINTAIN HONG KONG'S COMPETITIVENESS IN THE WORLD MARKET.
MR. HORACE KNIGHT, ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR (INDUSTRIAL TRAINING), SAID THAT INDUSTRY-WIDE APPRENTICE TRAINING SCHEMES WERE NECESSARY IF HONG KONG'S MAJOR INDUSTRIES WERE TO BE ASSURED OF AN ADEQUATE SUPPLY OF SKILLED MANPOWER,
HE WAS ADDRESSING 30 TECHNICIAN APPRENTICES, THEIR GUARDIANS AND EMPLOYERS AT A CONTRACT-SIGNING CEREMONY HELD AT THE HONG KONG AND KOWLOON ELECTROPLATING TRADE MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION, ALSO PRESENT AT THE CEREMONY WERE THE PERMANENT CHAIRMAN, MR. AU WAH, THE CHAIRMAN, MR. LEE FOON, AND OTHER OFFICERS OF THE ASSOCIATION.
MR. KNIGHT SAID THAT THE PRESENT SCHEME WAS THE RESULT OF CONSULTATIONS AND CO-OPERATION BETWEEN THE ASSOCIATION, THE POLYTECHNIC AND THE INDUSTRIAL TRAINING DIVISION OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT.
+ITS OBJECTIVE IS NOT ONLY TO ALLEVIATE THE CURRENT SHORTAGE OF SKILLED WORKERS IN THE ELECTROPLATING INDUSTRY BUT ALSO, MORE IMPORTANTLY, TO TRAIN A NEW GENERATION OF TECHNICIANS WELL VERSED IN BOTH THEORY AND PRACTICE.
+BY TAKING THE INITIATIVE TO WORK WITH THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT AND THE POLYTECHNIC IN IMPROVING THE EXISTING SITUATION THE ASSOCIATION HAS SET AN EXAMPLE FOR OTHERS TO FOLLOW,+ HE SAID.
THIS SCHEME WILL ENABLE THE APPRENTICES TO RECEIVE BOTH ON-THE-JOB TRAINING IN THE WORK SITUATION AND RELATED TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN ELECTROPLATING TECHNOLOGY ON A PART-TIME DAY-RELEASE BASIS AT THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC.
HE TOLD THE APPRENTICES THAT THE ELECTROPLATING INDUSTRY WAS A VITALLY IMPORTANT SERVICE INDUSTRY ON WHICH MANY OTHER
INDUSTRIES DEPENDED.
ON COMPLETING THEIR TRAINING, THEY WOULD BECOME TECHNICIANS WELL ABLE TO KEEP ABREAST WITH TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES.
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