XN000022-1975-06-09 — Page 5

MONDAY, JUNE 9, 1975

KWUN TONG TECHNICAL INSTITUTE HANDED OVER

*******

THE NEW TECHNICAL INSTITUTE AT KWUN TONG WAS HANDED OVER TODAY TO THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT BY THE ARCHITECTURAL OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.

COURSES WILL BEGIN THIS SEPTEMBER WITH THE ENROLMENT OF OVER 1,000 FIRST YEAR CRAFT AND TECHNICIAN STUDENTS..

THE NEW INSTITUTE HAS FIVE TEACHING DEPARTMENT CLOTHING INDUSTRIES, ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING, MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, PRINTING, AND TEXTILE INDUSTRIES.

IN ADDITION TO CLASSROOMS AND LECTURE THEATRES, THE ACCOMMODATION IN THE $16-MILLION BUILDING INCLUDES EXTENSIVE AND WELL-EQUIPPED WORKSHOPS AND LABORATORIES, DRAWING OFFICES, A LIBRARY, STUDENT COMMON ROOMS AND OFFICES, CANTEEN FACILITIES AND A LARGE MULTI-PURPOSE HALL.

WHEN FULLY OPERATIONAL THE INSTITUTE WILL OFFER A WIDE RANGE OF FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME COURSES AND CATER FOR SEVERAL THOUSAND STUDENTS.

+THE ESTABLISHMENT OF TECHNICAL INSTITUTES IN A NUMBER OF MAJOR INDUSTRIAL AREAS IS PART OF A BROAD GOVERNMENT PROGRAMME DESIGNED TO ENSURE THAT SUFFICIENT TECHNICAL PERSONIJEL ARE AVAILABLE TO MEET THE EXISTING AND FUTURE DEMANDS OF INDUSTRY,+ A SPOKESMAN FOR THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY.

THE MAJOR FUNCTION OF THE INSTITUTES IS TO PROVIDE THE RELATED TECHNICAL EDUCATION WHICH IS REQUIRED TO COMPLEMENT THE TRAINING PROVIDED BY INDUSTRY.

THROUGH THE INDUSTRIAL TRAINING DIVISION OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT THE GOVERNMENT IS OFFERING ASSISTANCE TO EMPLOYERS WHO WISH TO START APPRENTICESHIP SCHEMES.

APPRENTICES STUDY ON A PART-TIME DAY RELEASE BASIS ATTENDING THE TECHNICAL INSTITUTE FOR ONE FULL-DAY AND TWO EVENINGS A WEEK. THIS COMBINATION OF ON-THE-JOB TRAINING AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION IS RECOGNISED IN MOST INDUSTRIALISED COUNTRIES AS BEING THE BEST AND MOST ECONOMICAL WAY OF TRAINING CRAFTSMEN AND TECHNICIANS.

ALTHOUGH OVER