THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 1988
HE WAS ALSO PLEASED TO NOTE THAT MANY FOUND JOBS, WENT ON TO IMPROVE THEIR SKILLS BY COURSES AT TECHNICAL INSTITUTES OR POLYTECHNICS.
TRAINEES, AFTER THEY ATTENDING PART-TIME
HE ALSO URGED PARENTS TO ENCOURAGE THEIR CHILDREN TO BECOME SKILLED TECHNICIANS OR CRAFTSMEN BY JOINING AN APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING SCHEME.
"THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO BUILD A CAREER. BUT APPRENTICE TRAINING CAN PROVIDE A SOLID BASE FOR ACHIEVING THIS GOAL," THE GOVERNOR ADDED.
SIR DAVID VISITED THE TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND INDUSTRIAL TRAINING DEPARTMENT AND EXAMINED THE OPERATION OF THE TRAINING CENTRES OPERATED BY THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL.
HE WAS FIRST BRIEFED BY THE DIRECTOR OF AND INDUSTRIAL TRAINING, MR HORACE KNIGHT, ON THE DEPARTMENT AND THE VTC.
TECHNICAL EDUCATION ACTIVITIES OF THE
MR K.
c. CHAN, HOTEL, PRINTING,
ACCOMPANIED BY MR KNIGHT AND VTC CHAIRMAN, SIR DAVID TOURED THE TRAINING CENTRES FOR THE PRECISION TOOLING, MACHINE SHOP AND METAL WORKING INDUSTRIES.
HE SHOWED GREAT INTEREST IN THE PRACTICAL TRAINING WHICH AIMS AT PREPARING YOUNG PEOPLE FOR JOBS IN INDUSTRY, AND WAS PARTICULARLY IMPRESSED BY THE TRAINING OF SERVING CRAFTSMEN AT THE PRECISION TOOLING TRAINING CENTRE WHICH UPGRADES TOOLMAKING SKILLS.
THE TOUR WAS FOLLOWED BY A DISCUSSION ON VOCATIONAL TRAINING. SIR DAVID WAS TOLD THAT GRADUATES OF THE CENTRES HAVE NO DIFFICULTY IN FINDING JOBS IN INDUSTRY AND HAVE BEEN READILY ACCEPTED BY EMPLOYERS.
ABOUT 10,000 TRAINEES PASS THROUGH THE COUNCIL'S 11 INDUSTRIAL TRAINING CENTRES EACH YEAR. ALL THE TRAINEES ON COURSES WHICH LAST LONGER THAN SIX MONTHS ALSO ATTEND RELATED COURSES IN THE COUNCIL'S TECHNICAL INSTITUTES FOR ONE DAY A WEEK.
MOST OF THEM HAVE ENTERED RELEVANT TRADES OR BECOME APPRENTICES AND HAVE RECEIVED FURTHER ON-THE-JOB TRAINING.
MR KNIGHT ALSO TOLD THE GOVERNOR THAT MANY MORE YOUNG PEOPLE WERE TAKING UP APPRENTICESHIPS FOR TRAINING AS SKILLED CRAFTSMEN.
WITH
THE GOVERNOR LEARNT THAT A TOTAL OF 4,900 APPRENTICESHIP CONTRACTS, REPRESENTING AN INCREASE OF NINE PER CENT AS COMPARED 1986, HAD BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE DEPARTMENT.
THIS BROUGHT