XN000022-1974-05-30 — Page 2

THURSDAY, MAY 30, 1974.

MORE PROPERLY TRAINED SKILLED CRAFTMEN NEEDED

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THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER OF LABOUR, MR. HORACE KNIGHT, TODAY EMPHASISED THE IMPORTANCE OF INDUSTRY TO HONG KONG.

HE SAID: +INDUSTRY IS NOT AN OPTION FOR HONG KONG. IS INDISPENSABLE TO HER.+

IT

ECONOMICALLY, MR. KNIGHT SAID,+IT CONTRIBUTES AN INCREASINGLY HIGHER PERCENTAGE TOWARDS OUR TOTAL GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCTS, SOCIALLY IT IS THE BIGGEST EMPLOYER OF OUR PEOPLE.+

+WITH A POPULATION THE SIZE OF OURS,+ HE ADDED, +INDUSTRY WILL NEVER BE OBSOLESCENT NOR CAN IT BE REPLACED BY ANY OTHER FIELD OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY.+

MR. KNIGHT STRESSED THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT +OUR INDUSTRY REMAINS EFFICIENT. COMPETITIVE AND PROFITABLE+.

HE SAID: +TO DO SO IN THE PRESENT STAGE OF OUR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT WHEN OUR PRODUCTS ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY SOPHISTICATED, HE CAN NO LONGER MERELY DEPEND ON THE NATURAL, DILIGENCE AND ABILITY OF OUR PEOPLE.

+TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO TRADE UP IN THE LEVEL OF PRODUCTS, IMPROVE OUR QUALITY AND INCREASE OUR PRODUCTIVITY DEMANDS BETTER TRAINED TECHNICAL MANPOWER AT ALL LEVELS= BETTER TECHNOLOGISTS TO DESIGN OUR PRODUCTS, AND BETTER TRAINED TECHNICIANS AND CRAFTSMEN TO PLAN AND PRODUCE THEM.+

MR. KNIGHT WAS SPEAKING AT A CEREMONY DURING WHICH DR. CHUNG SZE-YUEN, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF SONCA INDUSTRIES LIMITED, PRESENTED CERTIFICATES OF COMPLETION TO 29 CRAFT APPRENTICES OF THE COMPANY.

THESE APPRENTICES HAVE COMPLETED A THREE-YEAR CRAFT APPRENTICESHIP UNDER SCHEMES APPROVED BY THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT.

IN HIS SPEECH, DR. CHUNG SAID THAT IN ORDER TO ENSURE THE COMPETITIVE POSITION OF THE HONG KONG INDUSTRY IN THE WORLD MARKETS, ONE IMPORTANT FACTOR WAS THE ADEQUATE SUPPLY OF PROPERLY TRAINED SKILLED CRAFTSMEN, PARTICULARLY MECHANICAL ENGINEERING CRAFTSMEN.

REFERRING TO HIS COMPANY'S APPRENTICE TRAINING SCHEME,

HE SAID IT WAS MODELLED FROM THOSE IN CONTINENTAL EUROPE PARTICULARLY THOSE IN GERMANY AND FRANCE.

+OUR SCHEME EMBRACES BOTH INSTITUTIONAL AND SHOP-FLOOR TRAINING AND IS SO EFFICIENT AND INTENSIFIED THAT THE NORMAL FIVE-YEAR PERIOD CAN BE COMPRESSED INTO THREE YEARS,+ HE ADDED.

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