MONDAY, MARCH 11, 1
13 500 COMPLETE APPRENTICE COURSES
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SOME 13 500 YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE BEEN AWARDED COMPLETION CERTIFICATES OF APPRENTICESHIP SINCE THE APPRENTICESHIP ORDINANCE CAME INTO FORCE IN 1976.
THERE ARE AT PRESENT ABOUT 8 500 REGISTERED APPRENTICES UNDER THREE OR FOUR YEARS TRAINING IN MAJOR INDUSTRIES,
ACCORDING TO STATISTICS RELEASED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND INDUSTRIAL TRAINING.
THE APPRENTICESHIP ORDINANCE, WHICH AIMS AT PROMOTING AND REGULATING THE EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING OF APPRENTICES, IS ENFORCE. BY THE APPRENTICESHIP SECTION OF THE DEPARTMENT.
THE ORDINANCE STIPULATES THAT EMPLOYERS OF 42 DESIGNATED TRADES CAN EMPLOY YOUNG PEOPLE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 14 AND 18 AS APPRENTICES UNDER A CONTRACT OF APPRENTICESHIP REGISTERED WITH THE DIRECTOR OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND INDUSTRIAL TRAINING, A SPOKESMAN OF THE APPRENTICESHIP SECTION SAID.
CONTRACTS FOR APPRENTICES WHO ARE 19 OR OVER, OR WHO ARE EMPLOYED IN NON-DESIGNATED TRADES MAY ALSO BE REGISTERED ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS.
REGISTERED APPRENTICES WILL BE GRANTED PAID LEAVE BY THE IR EMPLOYERS TO ATTEND PART-TIME DAY-RELEASE COURSES AT TECHNICAL INSTITUTES OR THE POLYTECHNIC.
INSPECTORS FROM THE APPRENTICESHIP SECTION OF THE DEPARTMENT PAY REGULAR VISITS TO EMPLOYERS AND APPRENTICES TO MONITOR THE IR TRAINING PROGRESS AND TO ASSIST EMPLOYERS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS ARISING FROM THE TRAINING, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
ENQUIRIES ABOUT APPRENTICE TRAINING OR THE ORDINANCE
CAN BE DIRECTED TO THE FIVE BRANCH OFFICES OF THE APPRENTICESHIP SECTION ON 5-8932341 EXT. 351 FOR THE HONG KONG OFFICE: 3-7151603 TO KWA WAN OFFICE; 3-667612 TSIM SHA TSUI OFFICE; 0-297908 TSUEN WAN OFFICE; 3-7561418 KWUN TONG OFFICE.
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