XN000022-1972-11-13 — Page 7

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Monday, November 13, 1972

Mr. Wu said his committee had conducted a manpower survey and later

published a report in 1971, in which it was recommended to the Government that

technical education facilities in printing be urgently provided. The report

also recommended that industry should set up a training scheme.

"Government has accepted this recommendation and a printing department

will be set up in the new technical institute in Kwun Tong which is expected to

be operational by 1975.

"The primary purpose of the department will be to run courses for

apprentices in the printing industry," he said.

Mr. Wu said that in view of the time gap between now and 1975, his

committee had recently further recommended the establishment of a teaching

workshop to be administered by the Morrison Hill Technical Institute in

temporary premises. This recommendation was receiving urgent consideration by

the Government, he added.

The 1971 report, he said, described the training in the industry as

"limited, out-dated, haphazard and of low standard", and showed that the annual

additional need of craftsmen and technicians at the time of the survey and in

the immediate future was no less than 1,125 and 125 respectively.

According to that survey, the trades where the shortage of manpower

was most acute included hand compositors, letterpress and litho-offset pressmen,

bench workers and book-binders.

Mr. Wu stressed the importance for printing industrialists to seriously

consider playing their role in the training of skilled manpower to meet the

needs of the industry.

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