FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1980
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KEEP YOUNG PEOPLE INFORMED OF CAREER
OPENINGS AND PROSPECTS
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THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS SOLVING HONG KONG'S SHORTAGE OF TRAINED MANPOWER IS TO KEEP YOUNG PEOPLE INFORMED OF THE TRAINING FACILITIES AVAILABLE AS WELL AS CAREER OPENINGS AND PROSPECTS,
THIS WAS STATED BY MRS HU, WIFE OF THE HON HU FA-KONG, A MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE AND URBAN COUNCILS, WHEN SHE DECLARED OPEN THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT'S SECOND CAREERS INFORMATION CENTRE AT NEW RODNEY BLOCK, QUEENSWAY TODAY (FRIDAY).
THE CENTRE, SHE SAID, WAS PLACE WHERE YOUNG PEOPLE COULD LEARN ABOUT CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AND EXPLORE THE WORLD OF WORK. FOR EMPLOYERS, IT WAS A PLACE THROUGH WHICH CAREERS INFORMATION ON VARIOUS INDUSTRIES, TRADES AND PROFESSIONS WAS DISSEMINATED TO YOUNG PEOPLE.
AND SUCH INFORMATION WAS IMPORTANT FOR BOTH YOUNG PEOPLE AND EMPLOYERS, SHE SAID.
+WHEN CAREER INFORMATION IS NOT EASILY ACCESSIBLE TO YOUNG PEOPLE, IT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE FOR THEM TO CHOOSE A JOB IN ANY MEANINGFUL MANNER. THIS IS DETRIMENTAL BOTH TO THEMSELVES AND TO THEIR EMPLOYERS BECAUSE A WRONG CHOICE THROUGH THE LACK OF INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE WILL GIVE RISE TO FRUSTRATIONS WHICH ARE LIKELY TO RESULT IN GREATER LABOUR TURNOVER.+
MRS HU SAID THE DEPARTMENT HAD RESPONDED QUICKLY TO THE STRONG DEMAND FOR CAREER SERVICE BY SETTING UP ANOTHER CENTRE ON HONG KONG ISLAND FOLLOWING THE SUCCESS OF THE FIRST CENTRE IN KOWLOON.
THE TWO CENTRES HAD MADE CAREER INFORMATION EASILY ACCESSIBLE TO SCHOOLS AND YOUNG PEOPLE WITH THEIR VARIOUS FACILITIES INCLUDING REFERENCE LIBRARIES, CAREERS FILMS, SLIDES, TELÉVISION PROGRAMMES, CASSETTE-TAPE RECORDINGS OF SPECIALIST TALKS AND CAREER LEAFLETS, SHE ADDED.
NOTING THAT THE DEPARTMENT'S YOUTH EMPLOYMENT ADVISORY SERVICE (YEAS) HAD BEEN STRIVING TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN SCHOOLS AND THE WORLD OF WORK, MRS HU SAID IT REQUIRED CLOSE CO-OPERATION FROM SCHOOLS AND EMPLOYERS FOR ITS VARIOUS ACTIVITIES SUCH AS CAREER TALKS, SEMINARS AND EXHIBITIONS. IT WAS THROUGH CO-OPERATION THAT YOUNG PEOPLE COULD TAKE PART IN THESE ACTIVITIES,
THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, MR J.N. HENDERSON, WHO ALSO ATTEND THE OPENING CEREMONY SAID A THIRD CENTRE WOULD BE SET UP IN TSUEN WAN AT A LATER STAGE.
MR HENDERSON SAID HONG KONG HAD NOT BEEN SLOW IN ATTACHING IMPORTANCE TO CAREERS EDUCATION DURING THE 1970S.
OVER THE YEARS, THE YEAS HAD PROVIDED A CAREERS SERVICE TO AN INCREASING NUMBER OF YOUNG PEOPLE AND HAD MADE USE OF MASS MEDIA SUCH AS TELEVISION CAREERS PROGRAMMES AND EXHIBITIONS TO DELIVER THE MESSAGE OF CHOICE TO YOUNG PEOPLE.