WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 1977/
CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY COMMENDED FOR
INITIATING TRAINING SCHEME
******
THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY WAS COMMENDED BY THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, FOR TAKING THE INITIATIVE TO SOLVE ITS SKILLED MANPOWER PROBLEMS.
SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TRAINING CENTRE IN KWUN TONG THIS MORNING, SIR MURRAY SAID DEMAND ON THE BUILDING INDUSTRY OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS WOULD CERTAINLY BE EXCEPTIONALLY HEAVY, AND THE PROBLEM OF MEETING THEM WOULD NOT BE SOLVED WITHOUT VIGOROUS AND IMAGINATIVE ACTION.
TODAY'S OPENING OF THE TRAINING CENTRE, THE FIRST PROJECT OF ITS KIND, WITNESSES A SIGNIFICANT STEP FORWARD IN THE HISTORY OF INDUSTRIAL TRAINING IN HONG KONG, HE SAID.
AFTER UNVEILING A PLAQUE TO COMMEMORATE THE OFFICIAL OPENING, SIR MURRAY TOURED THE SIX-STOREY BUILDING AND WAS BRIEFED ON THE VARIOUS TRAINING FACILITIES AVAILABLE AT THE CENTRE BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TRAINING AUTHORITY, MR. GEOFFREY YEH.
THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THE SPEECH BY THE GOVERNOR THIS MORNING :
+TODAY WITNESSES A SIGNIFICANT STEP FORWARD IN THE HISTORY OF INDUSTRIAL TRAINING IN HONG KONG, THIS TRAINING CENTRE IS THE FIRST PROJECT OF ITS KIND AND REPRESENTS THE INDUSTRY'S RESPONSE TO THE REQUIREMENT OF A STEADY SUPPLY OF TRAINED MANPOWER.
+THE TASKS OF IDENTIFYING MAJOR PROBLEMS IN MANPOWER TRAINING AND ASSISTING THE TRAINING NEEDS OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY FELL ON THE SHOULDERS OF ITAC'S BUILDING TRADES INDUSTRIAL COMMITTEE.
+ IN 1970 THE BUILDING TRADES INDUSTRIAL COMMITTEE PROPOSED TO GOVERNMENT A TRAINING SCHEME WHEREBY ALL CONTRACTORS UNDERTAKING CONSTRUCTION WORK IN HONG KONG WOULD CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS THE PROVISION OF SOUND BASIC TRAINING FOR ABOUT 700 CRAFT TRAINEES ANNUALLY.
+ IN SEPTEMBER 1975 THE SCHEME BECAME LAW, THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TRAINING AUTHORITY WAS APPOINTED WITH THE LATE T.S. WONG AS THE FIRST CHAIRMAN, AND FINALLY THE GOVERNMENT PROVIDED A LOAN OF $8.8 MILLION TO ASSIST THE TRAINING AUTHORITY TO BUILD AND EQUIP THIS CENTRE.
/+THE DEMAND