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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1986
+1 THINK WE SHOULD TAKE CREDIT, AND TAKE HEART FROM THE WAY, AS A COMMUNITY, WE HAVE FACED UP TO THE CHALLENGE OF CHANGE
AND ! REFUSE TO BE DEPRESSED BY THE CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE IN THE YEARS. AHEAD, AND AN STRENGTHENED IN THIS BY WHAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED AND WHAT IS BEING ACHIEVED BY HONG KONG TODAY.
+ INDEED, WE HAVE BECOME SO USED TO BEING ABLE TO GET THINGS DONE IN HONG KONG THAT EVENTS AND CEREMONIES TO MARK THE COMPLETION OF GREAT PROJECTS PASS ALMOST UNNOTICED AND +NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS+ HAS BEEN TURNED ON ITS HEAD TO BECOME +GOOD NEWS IS NO NEWS+, HE SAID.
EMPLOYMENT SERVICE FINDS JOBS FOR 500 *****
SOME 500 PEOPLE WERE SUCCESSFULLY PLACED IN EMPLOYMENT IN 1985-86 BY THE EMPLOYMENT SERVICE OF THE HONG KONG COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID THIS (FRIDAY) AFTERNOON.
SIR DAVID WAS SPEAKING AT THE PRESENTATION OF SOUVENIRS CEREMONY OF THE EMPLOYMENT SERVICE.
HE SAID THAT THE SERVICE, INITIATED BY THE COUNCIL IN 1959, HAD AN ECONOMIC VALUE AS WELL AS A WELFARE PURPOSE.
+HELPING THE SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED TO FIND EMPLOYMENT IS AN IMPORTANT STEP IN THEIR REHABILITATION, HE SAID.
THE COUNCIL'S TARGET GROUPS THIS YEAR WERE DISCHARGED PRISONERS, FORMER DRUG ADDICTS, PROBATIONERS AND PEOPLE WITH PERSONALITY PROBLEMS, SIR DAVID NOTED. MANY OF THESE PEOPLE WERE WITHIN THE AGE GROUP OF THE ECONOMICALLY ACTIVE.
+THEY ARE, HOWEVER, HANDICAPPED BY A LACK OF CONFIDENCE AND DISADVANTAGE BECAUSE OF THEIR BACKGROUND, HE SAID, AND TO RE- INTEGRATE THEM INTO THE COMMUNITY REQUIRED CONSTANT PERSONAL COUNSELLING AND ENCOURAGEMENT- MUCH UNDERSTANDING AND ACCOMMODATION BY SOCIETY.
SIR DAVID SAID THAT THIS WAS BY NO MEANS EASY BUT IT WAS GRATIFYING TO SEE ABANDONED INDIVIDUALS TURN A NEW LEAF, RE-GAIN SELF-RESPECT IN REWARDING JOBS AND MAKE THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMUNITY LIKE ANY OTHER RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS.
HE CONGRATULATED