XN000022-1975-01-22 — Page 21

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 1975.

PRACTICAL TRAINING FOR ENGINEERING STUDENTS

DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN IN BRITAIN

# # # # **

HONG KONG MUST BE PREPARED TO PROVIDE THE BULK OF PRACTICAL ON-THE-JOB TRAINING FOR ITS ENGINEERING STUDENTS DECAUSE IT IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO GET SUCH TRAINING IN BRITAIN IF THEY ARE NOT STUDENTS THERE.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR SOCIAL SERVICES THE HON. LI FOOK-KOW, IN REPLY TO A QUESTION DY THE HON. JAMEŠ WU IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

IN BRITAIN, MR. LI SAID, THERE WERE USUALLY MORE STUDENTS WANTING PRACTICAL TRAINING THAN THERE WERE VACANCIES OFFERED BY FIRMS.

*HOST LANGE FIRMS GIVE SOME TRAINING TO THEIR CUN EMPLOYEES AND MANY ALLOCATE HIGHER PRIORITY TO REQUESTS FROM THEIR OVERSEAS SUBSIDIARIES, ASSOCIATES AND IMPORTANT CUSTOMERS,+ HE SAID.

+A RELUCTANCE ON THEIR PART TO SUPPORT INDIVIDUAL APPLICATIONS FOR WORK PERMITS IS UNDERSTANDABLE IN THE PRESENT VORLD ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES IS INDEED UNDERSTANDABLE.→

MR. LI SAID: ÷| THINK IT WOULD NOT BE UNFAIR TO SAY THAT IT IS PREFERABLE FOR STUDENTS TO RECEIVE THEIR PRACTICAL TRAINING IN HONG KONG, WHERE THEY WILL DE EMPLOYED WHEN QUALIFIED,*

HE SAID HE APPRECIATED THAT THERE MIGHT BE AREAS IN WHICH PRACTICAL TRAINING IS NOT YET AVAILABLE LOCALLY AND HE HAD, THEREFORE, ASKED THE HONG KONG TRAINING COUNCIL TO ADVISE THE GOVERNMENT ON THE PROBLEMS RELATING TO THE PRACTICAL TRAINING OF TECHNOLOGISTS LOCALLY.

THE COUNCIL HAS SINCE SET UP AN AD HOC COMMITTEE TO

· LOOK INTO THE AVAILABILITY OF THIS TYPE OF TRAINING IN HONG KONG.

MR. LI SAID HE LOOKED FORWARD TO THE EARLY RECEIPT OF THEIR ADVICE.

THE SECRETARY MENTIONED THREE MAIN CHANNELS THROUGH WHICH A HONG KONG ENGINEERING STUDENT CAN OBTAIN A TEMPORARY WORK PERMIT IN ORDER TO RECEIVE PRACTICAL TRAINING IN BRITAINO.

BUT. HE STRONGLY ADVISED THOSE WHO WANTED TO SEEK TRAINING IN BRITAIN TO REGISTER WITH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE IN LONDON THROUGH THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT BEFORE LEAVING HONG KONG.

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