SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 1977
6
SUMMER EXPERIENCE CAN BE A LIFE TIME CAREER
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EDWIN TAM, A FORM V STUDENT OF THE KOWLOON TECHNICAL SCHOOL KNOWS WHAT HE WILL DO FOR A CAREER WHEN HE LEAVES SCHOOL NEXT YEAR.
FOR EDWIN, WHO IS ONE OF MORE THAN 100 SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THIS YEAR'S SUMMER WORK EXPERIENCE SCHEME ORGANISED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND THE HONG KONG ASSOCIATION OF CAREERS MASTERS, IS NOW A LABORATORY ASSISTANT AT THE UNITED CHRISTIAN HOSPITAL.
+1 AM THINKING OF TAKING UP PATHOLOGY AS MY CAREER,+ 18-YEAR-OLD EDWIN SAID BEAMING WITH CONFIDENCE.
+HOSPITAL WORK IS INTERESTING AS WELL AS CHALLENGING AND THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS TO LEARN, HE ADDED.
+UNDER THE GUIDANCE AND ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE REGULAR STAFF, I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PICK UP NEW KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTISE ON THE THEORIES I HAVE LEARNED IN SCHOOL.
+1 HAD WANTED TO DEVOTE ONE MONTH OF MY VACATION TO THE SUMMER JOB. I HAVE NOW ASKED TO STAY ONE MORE MONTH TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE JOB, HE SAID.
HE HOPED THAT MORE STUDENTS COULD JOIN THE SUMMER WORK SCHEME AND URGED THAT MORE EMPLOYERS SHOULD GIVE STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRY OUT THEIR ABILITIES AND INTERESTS AT A JOB DURING THE LONG SCHOOL RECESS.
MISS ROSE LAU, SECRETARY OF THE ASSOCIATION, EXPLAINED THAT THE SCHEME NOW IN ITS FOURTH YEAR PROVIDES FORM V AND FORM THREE STUDENTS OF PRE-VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET THE FEEL OF WORK+ SO AS TO ADJUST BETTER IN THEIR EVENTUAL TRANSITION FROM SCHOOL TO WORK IN SOCIETY.
+ IT ALSO HELPS THE STUDENTS TO UNDERSTAND THEIR OWN POTENTIALS AND INTERESTS AND THUS GAIN MORE SELF-CONFIDENCE WHEN CHOOSING A LIFE CAREER, SHE ADDED.
MISS LAU, WHO IS ALSO THE CAREERS OFFICER OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, POINTED OUT THAT WORK EXPERIENCE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE STILL AT SCHOOL WAS SOMETHING COMPARATIVELY NEW IN HONG KONG AND WAS QUITE DIFFERENT FROM ORDINARY SCHOOL VISITS TO PUBLIC OFFICES AND FACTORIES WHERE THE STUDENTS OBSERVE OTHER PEOPLE AT WORK.
THE SCHEME INSTEAD GIVES THE YOUNG PEOPLE A CHANCE TO ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT AT A PARTICULAR JOB FOR A SHORT PERIOD, SHE SAID.
MORE THAN 300 SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS HAVE BENEFITED FROM THE SCHEME SINCE IT WAS IMPLEMENTED IN 1974 AND SOME 70 FIRMS AND ORGANISATIONS HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO IT BY PROVIDING WORK OPPORTUNITIES. THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS ALLOCATED PLACES HAS INCREASED FROM 58 IN THE FIRST YEAR TO 106 THIS SUMMER.
AS THERE