SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 1984
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CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY NEEDS MORE TECHNICIANS
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DESPITE THE SLUGGISH PROPERTY MARKET, THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY WILL NEED AN ADDITION OF AT LEAST 400 TECHNOLOGISTS, 650 TECHNICIANS AND 1 800 CRAFTSMEN EACH YEAR FROM 1984 TO 1988.
THESE ESTIMATES ARE AMONG THE FINDINGS IN THE REPORT ON THE 1983 MANPOWER SURVEY JUST PUBLISHED BY THE BUILDING AND CIVIL ENGINEERING INDUSTRY TRAINING BOARD OF THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL.
THE SURVEY SHOWED THAT THE TOTAL WORK FORCE OF THE INDUSTRY HAD DECLINED FROM ABOUT 103 000 IN APRIL 1981 TO 89 000 IN APRIL 1983, REPRESENTING AN ANNUAL DROP OF ABOUT SEVEN PER CENT,
+THE CURRENT SET-BACK OF THE INDUSTRY IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE ECONOMIC RECESSION, THE SLUGGISH PROPERTY MARKET AND THE UNCERTAINTY OVER THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG+, MR JOHN H.P. LOK, CHAIRMAN OF THE TRAINING BOARD, SAID.
BUT MR LOK ADDED, THE TRAINING BOARD EXPECTS THAT A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF EXISTING VACANT UNITS IN THE PROPERTY MARKET WILL BE TAKEN UP BY NEXT YEAR AND THERE WILL BE A REVIVED DEMAND FOR RESIDENTIAL AND NON-RESIDENTIAL PREMISES+, HE SAID.
NOW WAS THE TIME FOR EMPLOYERS TO STEP UP STAFF TRAINING TO MEET FUTURE DEMANDS, HE ADDED.
ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A DROP IN THE TOTAL WORK FORCE OF THE INDUSTRY OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, THE NUMBER OF TECHNICIANS HAD GROWN BY ABOUT NINE PER CENT OVER THE SAME PERIOD, THE SURVEY FOUND.
THIS WAS MAINLY DUE TO THE DEMAND FOR MORE SUPERVISORY STAFF, RESULTING FROM THE INCREASING APPLICATION OF COMPLEX AND SOPHISTICATED CONSTRUCTION METHODS AND MORE STRINGENT CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS.
THE BOARD STRESSED THE NEED FOR EMPLOYERS TO START OR IMPROVE PRACTICAL TRAINING SCHEMES TO UPGRADE THE QUALITY OF THE WORK FORCE IN ORDER TO COPE WITH MECHANISATION AND COMPLEX CONSTRUCTION METHODS BEING INTRODUCED.
THE REPORT, PUBLISHED IN ENGLISH AND CHINESE, IS NOW ON SALE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE AT $15.00 A COPY.
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