MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 1983
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THE DECREASES WERE 25 PER CENT FOR TEXTILES+, 19 PER CENT FOR +SHIPBUILDING AND REPAIR+, EIGHT PER CENT FOR MACHINE SHOP AND METAL WORKING+, FIVE PER CENT FOR +ELECTRONICS+ AND TWO PER CENT EACH FOR +PLASTICS+ AND PRINTING+.
THE COMMITTEE NOTED THAT THE GENERAL DECLINE COINCIDED WITH THE ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1981.
+WHEN TRADING CONDITIONS IN THE OVERSEAS MARKETS WERE POOR INTEREST RATE HIGH AND LABOUR COSTS EVER INCREASING, IT WAS NOT UNUSUAL FOR THE EMPLOYERS TO RETAIN LESS INSTRUCTORS BOTH FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME IN THEIR ESTABLISHMENTS, STATED.
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THE COMMITTEE
IN ITS VIEW, MOST EMPLOYERS AT THE TIME OF SURVEY WOULD PREFER TO HAVE THEIR INSTRUCTORS PARTICIPATE IN PRODUCTION AND AS SUCH MANY OF THEM MIGHT NOT BE COUNTED AS INSTRUCTORS.
+ANOTHER FACTOR WHICH MAY ACCOUNT FOR THE DROP IS THE CHANGES IN SAMPLE FRAME COMPARED WITH THE LAST SURVEY.
+GIVEN THAT THIS SURVEY HAS A FULL COVERAGE THE COMMITTEE IS CONFIDENT THAT THE DATA OBTAINED IS MORE RELIABLE AND THUS SHOULD BE ACCEPTED, THE REPORT SAID.
NOTING THAT ABOUT 18 180 SERVING INSTRUCTORS HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY FORM OF INSTRUCTOR TRAINING, THE COMMITTEE WAS OF THE OPINION THAT EMPLOYERS SHOULD BE PERSUADED FURTHER TO RECOGNISE THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS TRAINING.
IT ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE MAJORITY OF EMPLOYERS PREFERRED THE IR INSTRUCTORS TO HAVE FORM 5 STANDARD, INSTEAD OF FORM 3 AS REPORTED IN THE PREVIOUS SURVEYS, A CHANGE WHICH THE COMMITTEE ATTRIBUTED TO INDUSTRIAL DIVERSIFICATION AND THE MOVE TO MORE SOPHISTICATED PRODUCTS.
THE SURVEY REVEALED THAT ABOUT 60 PER CENT OF EMPLOYERS IN THE INDUSTRIAL SECTOR AGREED THAT INSTRUCTORS SHOULD RECEIVE TRAINING IN TEACHING TECHNIQUES WHILE 35 PER CENT OF THEM WERE ALSO WILLING TO RELEASE THEIR INSTRUCTORS AND TRAINING OFFICERS TO ATTEND COURSES AT THE HONG KONG TECHNICAL TEACHERS' COLLEGE.
NEARLY ALL OF THE EMPLOYERS IN THE NON-INDUSTRIAL SECTOR EXPRESSED THIS AGREEMENT AND 58 PER CENT OF THEIR INSTRUCTORS HAD IN FACT TAKEN SOME FORM OF INSTRUCTOR TRAINING, THE SURVEY SHOWED.
THE REPORT, IN ENGLISH AND CHINESE, IS NOW ON SALE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, CENTRAL POST OFFICE, HONG KONG AT $15 A COPY.
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