XN000022-1978-12-18 — Page 3

MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1978

- 2.

APPRENTICESHIP SCHEME GROWING MORE

POPULAR WITH EMPLOYERS AND YOUNG PERSONS

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TRAINING FOR A CAREER IN INDUSTRY THROUGH PROPER APPRENTICE TRAINING HAS ATTRACTED MORE THAN 7,000 YOUTHS TO BECOME REGISTERED APPRENTICES IN VARIOUS FIELDS SINCE THE ENACTMENT OF THE APPRENTICESHIP ORDINANCE IN JULY 1976.

UNDER THE ORDINANCE, EMPLOYERS OF CERTAIN TRADES ARE REQUIRED TO ENTER INTO CONTRACT WITH THEIR APPRENTICES AGED BETWEEN 14 AND 18 AND TO PROVIDE THEM WITH ADEQUATE TRAINING.

OVER 3,600 CONTRACTS HAVE SO FAR BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR. THE FIGURE

IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE FURTHER BY THE END OF THE YEAR.

THE APPRENTICESHIP DIVISION, WHICH ADMINISTERS THE ORDINANCE, REGISTERED 2,174 CONTRACTS LAST YEAR COMPARED WITH 1,502 IN 1976.

MR. AU-YEUNG MAN-TAK, SENIOR INDUSTRIAL TRAINING OFFICER APPRENTICESHIP DIVISION, LABOUR DEPARTMENT, SAID TODAY (MONDAY) A TOTAL OF 31 TRADES HAS SO FAR BEEN DESIGNATED SINCE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ORDINANCE.

+ARISING FROM THE CURRENT CONSULTATION BETWEEN THE BUILDING AND CIVIL ENGINEERING INDUSTRY TRAINING BOARD OF THE HONG KONG TRAINING COUNCIL AND THE FURNITURE INDUSTRY, FURTHER TRADES COMMON TO THE TWO INDUSTRIES MAY ALSO BE DESIGNATED IN THE FUTURE,+ HE SAID.

MR. AU-YEUNG NOTED THAT PROPER APPRENTICE TRAINING HAS GAINED ENCOURAGING ACCEPTANCE AND SUPPORT FROM EMPLOYERS IN BOTH DESIGNATED AND NON-DESIGNATED TRADES.

+A TOTAL OF 440 APPRENTICES IN NON-DESIGNATED TRADES HAS REGISTERED THEIR CONTRACTS UNDER THE ORDINANCE SINCE JANUARY 1978,+ HE SAID.

+CONTRACTS OF APPRENTICESHIP IN NON-DESIGNATED TRADES OR IN DESIGNATED TRADES WHERE THE APPRENTICES ARE 19 YEARS OR OVER MAY BE REGISTERED VOLUNTARILY WITH THE DEPARTMENT IF BOTH EMPLOYERS AND THE APPRENTICES WISH TO AVAIL THEMSELVES OF THE BENEFITS WHICH THE ORDINANCE OFFERS, HE ADDED.

INSPECTORS OF APPRENTICES VISIT EMPLOYERS OF ALL REGISTERED APPRENTICES TO ASSIST THEM IN TRAINING AND ADVISING THE IR APPRENTICES.

INSPECTIONS ARE ALSO MADE TO ENSURE THAT YOUNG PEOPLE ENGAGED IN DESIGNATED TRADES EITHER HAVE, OR WOULD, ENTER INTO VAL ID APPRENTICESHIP CONTRACTS.

MR. AU-YEUNG SAID THAT IN A CONTINUING EFFORT TO PROVIDE BETTER SERVICE, NEW OFFICES WILL BE SET UP IN KWAL CHUNG AND KWUN TONG IN ADDITION TO THOSE IN WAN CHAI, SAN PO KONG AND TSIM SHA TSUI. THESE OFFICES CATER FOR THE NEEDS OF EMPLOYERS AND APPRENTICES IN NEIGHBOURING INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS.

FMPLOYERS.............