TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1979
CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY URGED TO MAKE GREATER TRAINING EFFORT
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THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY SHOULD MAKE GREATER EFFORT TO TRAIN THE SKILLED MANPOWER IT NEEDS TO MEET ITS FUTURE REQUIREMENTS.
THIS IS ONE OF THE MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY THE BUILDING AND CIVIL ENGINEERING INDUSTRY TRAINING BOARD OF THE HONG KONG TRAINING COUNCIL IN A REPORT ON THE FIFTH MANPOWER SURVEY OF THE BUILDING AND CIVIL ENGINEERING INDUSTRY,
THE REPORT CONTAINS STATISTICAL INFORMATION ON THE EMPLOYMENT STRUCTURE OF THE INDUSTRY, A FORECAST OF FUTURE TRAINING NEEDS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON MEASURES NECESSARY TO MEET THESE NEEDS.
COPIES OF THE REPORT, IN BOTH CHINESE AND ENGLISH, ARE NOW ON SALE AT $8 EACH AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, GENERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING.
THE REPORT GIVES A FORECAST OF THE NUMBER OF TECHNOLOGIST, TECHNICIAN AND CRAFTSMAN TRAINEES WHICH THE INDUSTRY NEEDS TO TAKE ON FOR TRAINING BETWEEN 1980 AND 1982.
THE BOARD HAS ALSO PROJECTED THE NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL WORKERS REQUIRED AT THE THREE LEVELS FROM 1982 TO 1987.
ACCORDING TO THE REPORT, THE FINDINGS OF THE SURVEY HAVE INDICATED THAT THE TOTAL TECHNICAL MANPOWER OF THE INDUSTRY HAS GROWN FROM 60 976 IN APRIL 1977 TO 87 956 IN APRIL THIS YEAR. REPRESENTING AN AVERAGE ANNUAL GROWTH OF 20.1 PER CENT IN THE PAST TWO YEARS.
FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS, THE REPORT SAID, THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY HAD BEEN ENJOYING AN UNABATED GROWTH UNEQUALLED IN ITS HISTORY. HOWEVER, THE TRAINING BOARD WAS OF THE VIEW THAT DESPITE THE PRESENT APPARENT BUOYANT SITUATION, THE CAPACITY OF THE INDUSTRY TO EXPAND FURTHER WAS IN DOUBT BECAUSE OF SERIOUS PROBLEMS SUCH AS SHORTAGE OF SKILLED WORKERS AND SHARP RISE IN MATERIALS AND LABOUR COSTS.
TO OVERCOME THESE DIFFICULTIES, THE TRAINING BOARD CONSIDERED THAT THE INDUSTRY SHOULD STRIVE TO IMPROVE ITS PRODUCTIVITY AND TO OPTIMISE USE OF THE LIMITED MANPOWER RESOURCES AVAILABLE THROUGH BETTER TRAINING AND INCREASED MECHANISATION.
THE BOARD BELIEVED THAT THE PACE OF CONSTRUCTION WORK WOULD GRADUALLY LEVEL OFF AND THE INDUSTRY WOULD TAKE ON A MORE STEADY COURSE.
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