XN000022-1974-09-13 — Page 3

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1974

INDUSTRIAL ADVISORY SERVICE TO BE REVIEWED

GOVT. AND INDUSTRY URGED TO DO MORE IN INDUSTRIAL TRAINING

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THE HONG KONG TRAINING COUNCIL IS TO LOOK INTO THE POSSIBILITY OF STRENGTHENING THE ADVISORY SERVICE AVAILABLE TO INDUSTRY IN HONG KONG, THE COUNCIL'S CHAIRMAN, MR. ANN TSE-KAI, INDICATED TODAY.

COMPARED WITH THE UNITED KINGDOM, HE SAID, HONG KONG'S ADVISORY SERVICE FOR INDUSTRY +1S A LITTLE THIN ON THE GROUND TO SAY THE LEAST,+ EVEN ACCOUNTING FOR THE DIFFERENCE IN SIZE OF THE TWO INDUSTRIES.

MR. ANN WAS SPEAKING AT A GRADUATION CEREMONY OF 69 APPRENTICES AT THE MORRISON HILL TECHNICAL INSTITUTE. THE GRADUATES ARE THE FIRST PRODUCTS OF AN EXTENDED TWO-STREAM SYSTEM OF TRAINING INTRODUCED IN 1969 TO HELP MEET HONG KONG'S INCREASING DEMAND FOR SKILLED CRAFTSMEN, MECHANICS, TECHNICIANS AND TECHNICAL EXECUTIVES. THE COURSES WERE RUN UNDER THE JOINT WATERWORKS AND ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL OFFICE CRAFT AND TECHNICAL APPRENTICE TRAINING SCHEME OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.

MR. ANN STRESSED THE NEED FOR EDUCATION, ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE TO INDUSTRY AND NOTED THAT THE INDUSTRIAL TRAINING DIVISION OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT ENDEAVOURED TO HELP INDUSTRY IN THIS DIRECTION.

+BUT HOW MUCH CAN A SMALL BODY, WHICH WHEN AT FULL STRENGTH NUMBERS ONLY 14, DO IN THE WAY OF OFFERING SOL ID ADVICE TO AN INDUSTRY EMPLOY ING ABOUT ONE MILLION PEOPLE?+ HE ASKED. THE SAME BODY OF MEN, HE ADDED, ALSO HAD TO SERVICE THE HONG KONG TRAINING COUNCIL COMPLEX OF NEARLY 20 TRAINING BOARDS AND COMMITTEES.

MR. ANN FELT THAT BOTH THE GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY ITSELF COULD DO A GREAT DEAL MORE IN INDUSTRIAL TRAINING.

IN FACT, HE SAID, UNLESS INDUSTRY DOES FAR MORE THAN IT IS DOING AT THE MOMENT THERE WILL BE NO SATISFACTORY LONG- TERII SOLUTION TO OUR MANPOWER PROBLEMS.+

WHILE HE APPRECIATED THE FACT THAT HONG KONG INDUSTRY WAS GOING THROUGH A TOUGH PERIOD, HE STRONGLY APPEALED TO ALL EMPLOYERS WHO ARE PRESENTLY TRAINING APPRENTICES NOT TO CUT DOWN THEIR TRAINING PROGRAMMES TO TRIM OVERHEADS.

+WE MUST HAVE THE TRAINED MANPOWER READY WHEN THE SITUATION IMPROVES OR WE SHALL MISS THE BOAT.+ HE STRESSED. +TIGHTEN OTHER BELTS BY ALL MEANS, BUT NOT THAT OF TRAINING.+

HE ALSO TOOK ISSUE WITH THE TRADITIONAL PREFERENCE ATTACHED TO WHITE-COLLAR+ JOBS. THIS ATTITUDE WAS COMPLETELY OUT OF DATE IN MODERN HONG KONG, HE SAID, POINTING OUT THAT HONG KONG WAS NOW ONE OF THE KEY INDUSTRIAL CITIES OF THE WORLD AND THE LARGEST EMPLOYER OF AN EVER-GROWING POPULATION.

MR. ANN SAID HE WAS IMPRESSED BY THE QUALITY OF THE OUTPUT OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT TRAINING SCHEME, AND CONGRATULATED THE DEPARTMENT FOR ITS EFFORTS. +BY SO DOING AND BY NOT COMPETING WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN THE VERY TIGHT SKILLED LABOUR MARKET, THE DEPARTMENT IS INDIRECTLY HELPING INDUSTRY,+ HE SAID.

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