XN000022-1976-12-10 — Page 7

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1976

TOPLEY PRAISES FIRMS FOR SUPPORTING WORK EXPERIENCE SCHEME

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THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, MR. KENNETH TOPLEY, TODAY PAID TRIBUTE TO THE MANY PEOPLE IN COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY AND THE VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS IN HONG KONG FOR SUPPORTING THE SUMMER WORK EXPERIENCE SCHEME OF THE HONG KONG ASSOCIATION OF CAREERS MASTERS.

HE WAS SPEAKING AT A CEREMONY DURING WHICH HE PRESENTED CERTIFICATES TO YOUNG PEOPLE WHO TOOK PART IN THIS YEAR'S SUMMER WORK EXPERIENCE SCHEME.

HE SAID IT WAS MOST HEARTENING THAT SO MANY

ORGANISATIONS HAD CONCERNED THEMSELVES WITH CAREER EDUCATION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, HELPING THEM TO DEVELOP INTO MATURE, SELF-RELIANT AND UNDERSTANDING ADULTS.

+THEIR GENEROSITY IN COMING TO THE HELP OF SCHOOLS BY PROVIDING KNOWLEDGEABLE SPEAKERS FOR TALKS ON CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AND HELPING TO ORGANISE CAREERS SEMINARS AND CONVENTIONS HAS BEEN GREATLY APPRECIATED, + MR. TOPLEY SAID.

THE DIRECTOR EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT MANY MORE ORGANISATIONS IN HONG KONG WOULD COME FORWARD TO HELP MAKE THE SCHEME +NOT FOR JUST A FEW SCORE OF STUDENTS BUT HUNDREDS OF THEM. +

MR. TOPLEY CONGRATULATED ALL THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING THIS THIRD WORK EXPERIENCE SCHEME A SUCCESS. HE ALSO THANKED THE HONG KONG ASSOCIATION OF CAREERS MASTERS FOR ITS UNTIRING EFFORTS IN THE PROMOTION OF CAREERS GUIDANCE IN SCHOOLS. THE ASSOCIATION WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1959 WITH A MEMBERSHIP OF 40. IT NOW HAS A MEMBERSHIP REPRESENTING OVER 200 SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

HE RECALLED THAT THE SUMMER WORK EXPERIENCE SCHEME BEGAN IN 1974 AND HAD RECEIVED GOOD RESPONSE FROM SCHOOLS AND BUSINESS FIRMS SINCE THEN. AN AVERAGE OF 16 FIRMS AND OVER 50 SCHOCLS HAD TAKEN PART IN THE THREE SCHEMES SO FAR.

+ IT INVOLVES STUDENTS AT FORM 5 LEVEL IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND FORM 3 LEVEL IN PRE-VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS,+ MR. TOPLEY SAID.

THE WORK EXPERIENCE PROJECT PROVIDED YOUNG PEOPLE WITH THE CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE PERSONALLY WHAT FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT WAS LIKE DURING THEIR ATTACHMENT TO PLACES OF WORK FOR A PERIOD OF TIME LASTING FROM ONE WEEK TO AS MUCH AS TWO OR MORE MONTHS.

MR. TOPLEY SAID THAT YOUNG PEOPLE TAKING PART IN THE SCHEME +DEVELOP AN APPRECIATION NOT ONLY OF THE CHALLENGES AND SATISFACTION OF WORKING LIFE BUT ALSO OF THE INEVITABLE FRUSTRATIONS THAT ARISE IN THE CONTEXT OF DAY-TO-DAY WORKING LIFE.+

SUCH EXPERIENCE, HE ADDED, +15 OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN HELPING THEM TO MAKE A GOOD START TO ACHIEVING A SATISFYING AND SUCCESSFUL WORKING LIFE WHEN THE TIME COMES FOR THEM TO LEAVE SCHOOL AND PLUNGE INTO THE HARSH REALITIES OF LIFE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM.+

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