XN000022-1975-11-14 — Page 7

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1975

LEGAL BACKING FOR SKILLED MANPOWER TRAINING

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A BILL TO IMPROVE APPRENTICE TRAINING AND TO REGULATE THE EMPLOYMENT OF APPRENTICES IN CERTAIN TRADES IS PUBLISHED IN THE GAZETTE TODAY.

COMMENTING ON THE BILL THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR,

MR. LAN PRICE, SAID THAT HONG KONG'S SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC WELL- DEING DEPENDED ON HER INDUSTRIES' ABILITY TO SURVIVE IN AN INCREASINGLY COMPETITIVE AND COMPLEX SITUATION. THIS LARGELY DEPENDED ON AN ADEQUATE SUPPLY OF PROPERLY TRAINED SKILLED MANPOWER.

+THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THE BILL IS TO HELP OUR INDUSTRIES REMAIN HEALTHY AND COMPETITIVE,+ HE WENT ON +IT DOES THIS BY PROVIDING A LEGAL FRAMEWORK WHICH WILL BRING ORDER TO THIS IMPORTANT AREA OF SKILLED MANPOWER TRAINING AND ENSURE THAT YOUNG PEOPLE EMPLOYED IN CERTAIN +DESIGNATED TRADES+ RECEIVE CORRECT ON-THE-JOB PRACTICAL TRAINING AND THE NECESSARY RELATED THEORETICAL TRAINING IN A TECHNICAL INSTITUTION.

THE BILL IS THE OUTCOME OF CONSULTATIONS BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT, THE HONG KONG TRAINING COUNCIL AND ITS COMMITTEE ON APPRENTICESHIP ON WHICH ARE REPRESENTED WORKERS AND ALL MAJOR EMPLOYERS' ASSOCIATIONS. INCLUDING THE CHINESE MANUFACTURERS' ASSOCIATION, THE FEDERATION OF HONG KONG INDUSTRIES AND THE EMPLOYERS' FEDERATION,

IN THE FIRST INSTANCE, THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION WILL APPLY TO ALL +YOUNG PERSONS AGED 14-16+ EMPLOYED IN DESIGNATED TRADES AND THEIR EMPLOYERS. THE COMMISSIONER IS EMPOWERED TO GRANT EXEMPTIONS IN CERTAIN CASES.

MR. PRICE SAID: +IT IS NOT THE INTENTION TO DESIGNATE A LARGE NUMBER OF TRADES TO BEGIN WITH. THIS WILL BE A GRADUAL PROCESS AND WILL DEPEND LARGELY ON THE ADVICE TENDERED BY THE TRAINING BOARDS. IN ADDITION THERE IS A PROVISION TO LATER RAISE THE AGE LIMIT TO 21 YEARS AND SO ULTIMATELY, INCLUDE TECHNICIAN APPRENTICES.+

UNDER THE BILL, WHICH, WILL BE ADMINISTERED BY THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT, THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR WILL :

(1)

ADVISE AND ASSIST EMPLOYERS IN THE EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING OF APPRENTICES,

(11) CO-OPERATE WITH TECHNICAL INSTITUTIONS IN ENSURING THAT APPRENTICES OBTAIN THE NECESSARY AMOUNT OF RELATED TECHNICAL INSTRUCTION,

/(III) GENERALLY

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