MONDAY, MARCH 10,
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MANPOWER BOOST SEEN FOR BANKING INDUSTRY
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THE BANKING INDUSTRY IS EXPECTED TO EMPLOY MORE PEOPLE IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL SAID TODAY.
THIS IS REFLECTED IN THE FINDINGS OF A SURVEY PUBLISHED BY THE COUNCIL'S BANKING INDUSTRY TRAINING BOARD WHICH SHOWED THAT MANPOWER IN THE INDUSTRY ROSE FROM 53 200 IN 1982 TO 55 600 IN 1984.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS TO 1989 THE ANNUAL GROWTH IN THE NUMBER OF BANK EMPLOYEES WOULD BE ABOUT TWO PER CENT WHILE THE GROWTH RATE FOR DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES WOULD BE 3.4 PER CENT.
DURING THE PERIOD BETWEEN 1982 AND 1984, THE NUMBER OF BANKS INCREASED FROM 132 TO 139, AND THE NUMBER OF BRANCHES WENT UP FROM 1 346 TO 1 547, AN INCREASE OF 15 PER CENT.
ACCORDING TO THE SURVEY, THE ONLY SECTOR IN THE INDUSTRY WHICH SHOWED A DECLINE WAS REGISTERED DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES, WITH A MANPOWER DROP OF 32 PER CENT FROM 5 300 TO 3 600.
THE BOARD ATTRIBUTED THIS TO THE FACT THAT DURING THE PERIOU A LARGE NUMBER OF MAJOR REGISTERED DEPOSIT-TAXING COMPANIES CHANGED THEIR STATUS TO LICENSED DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES.
THE SURVEY FINDINGS ALSO SHOWED THAT SMALL BANKS IN HONG KONG WERE NOT PROVIDING ENOUGH TRAINING FOR THE IR STAFF, EVEN THOUGH THE ARRANGING OF ON-THE-JOB TRAINING WAS NOT BEYOND THEIR ABILITY,
THE SURVEY FOUND THAT LARGER BANKS DID MORE OFF-THE-JOB TRAINING THAN OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND MEDIUM-SIZED BANKS PROVIDED MORE ON-THE-JOB TRAINING,
THE SURVEY ESTIMATED THAT IT WAS NECESSARY FOR AN ADDITIONAL 5 500 EMPLOYEES IN BANKING INDUSTRIES TO BE GIVEN OFF-THE-JOB TRAINING EACH YEAR.
THE BANKING TRAINING BOARD HAS THEREFORE PROPOSED THE SETTING UP OF A TRAINING CENTRE TO OFFER OFF-THE-JOB TRAINING. THIS PROPOSAL HAS BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION.
THE REPORT, CONTAINING DETAILED MANPOWER STATISTICS AND TRAINING REQUIREMENTS OF THE HONG KONG BANKING INDUSTRY, IS ON SALE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATION SALES CENTRE AT $25 A COPY.
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