XN000022-1975-12-05 — Page 3

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FRIDAY, DECT BER 5,

MANPOWER TRAINING *ONLY WAY TO STAY IN BUSINESS' ******

"HE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, MR. IAN PRICE, TODAY EMPHASISET THAT INVESTMENT IN MANPOWER TRAINING WOULD LEAD TO BETTER SERVICE, .NCREASED PRODUCTIVITY, COMPETITIVENESS AND PROFITABILITY.

+IN AN INCREASINGLY COMPLEX INDUSTRIAL CONTEXT, IT IS THE

ONLY WAY TO STAY IN BUSINESS, HE SAID,

MR. PRICE WAS VISITING THE TRAINING SCHOOL OF THE HONG KONG TELEPHONE COMPANY IN KWUN TONG - PART OF HIS PROGRAMME TO FAMILIARISE HIMSELF WITH THE TRAINING, EMPLOYMENT AND INDUSTRIAL SCENE IN HONG KONG.

THE TELEPHONE COMPANY TRAINING SCHOOL, OPENED IN MARCH 1971, HAS A LECTURE AND DEMONSTRATION AREA OF SOME. 50,000 SQ. FT. AND ANOTHER 10,000 SQ. FT. FOR OUTDOOR TRAINING. IT PROVIDED 450 DIFFERENT COURSES FOR 7,000 STUDENTS LAST YEAR.

THE COMMISSIONER POINTED OUT THAT THE ELECTRONICS (INCLUDING TELECOMMUNICATION) INDUSTRY NEEDED TO TRAIN ABOUT 300 TECHNICIANS AND 900 CRAFTSMEN ANNUALLY TO MEET EXPANSION AND WASTAGE.

+THE GOVERNMENT, HE ADDED, +HAS LONG RECOGNISED THE NEED FOR MANPOWER TRAINING. IT HAS BEEN PROVIDING THE NECESSARY TECHNICAL COURSES THROUGH THE POLYTECHNIC AND TECHNICAL INSTITUTES.

+EMPLOYERS IN INDUSTRY MUST NOW SHOULDER THE RESPONSIBILITY AND TAKE ON MORE YOUNG PEOPLE FOR TRAINING, PREFERABLY AS APPRENTICES,✦ HE SAID.

IN THIS CONNECTION, MR. PRICE URGED EMPLOYERS TO ADOPT THE APPRENTICESHIP SCHEMES PROPOSED BY THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT'S

INDUSTRIAL TRAINING DIVISION, THESE INCLUDE ON-THE-JOB TRAINING AND RELATED TECHNICAL EDUCATION ON A PART-TIME-DAY-RELEASE BASIS,

MR. PRICE, ACCOMPANIED ON THE VISIT BY ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR (INDUSTRIAL TRAINING), MR. HORACE KNIGHT, SAID HE WAS IMPRESSED BY THE TRAINING FACILITIES OFFERED BY THE TELEPHONE COMPANY.

+THE COMPANY HAS DONE MUCH NOT ONLY TO ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO FOLLOW SUIT, BUT ALSO TO PROVIDE A CHANCE FOR OUR YOUNG GENERATION TO DEVELOP THEIR SKILLS.+

THE TELEPHONE COMPANY TRAINING SCHOOL WAS THE FIRST TRAINING CENTRE BUILT BY A PUBLIC ENTERPRISE ON A GOVERNMENT-GRANTED SITE ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE INDUSTRIAL TRAINING ADVISORY COMMITTEE - THE FORERUNNER OF THE HONG KONG TRAINING COUNCIL.

THE GOVERNMENT HAS RECENTLY APPROVED TWO APPLICATIONS FOR LAND FOR THE SETTING UP OF TRAINING CENTRES, ONE IN KWUN TONG FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TRAINING AUTHORITY AND THE OTHER IN KWAI CHUNG FOR THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY TRAINING AUTHORITY.

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