XN000022-1979-10-01 — Page 3

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1979

TECHNICAL INSTITUTE PLANNING BASED ON MANPOWER SURVEYS

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THE ACTUAL NUMBERS OF STUDENT-PLACES PROVIDED IN TECHNICAL INSTITUTES EACH YEAR ARE LARGELY BASED ON THE MANPOWER SURVEYS CONDUCTED BY THE HONG KONG TRAINING COUNCIL, MR. DAN WATERS, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (TECHNICAL) SAID TODAY (MONDAY).

+THE ADVICE OF THE HONG KONG TRAINING COUNCIL AND OTHER BODIES IS ALSO SOUGHT ON CURRICULA AND SYLLABUSES TO MAKE SURE THEY MEET THE NEEDS OF INDUSTRY, HE SAID.

MR. WATERS WAS SPEAKING TO MEMBERS OF THE HONG KONG MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION ON TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND MANPOWER SUPPLY.

SIX ADDITIONAL STANDING COMMITTEES HAVE BEEN SET UP BY THE TRAINING COUNCIL TO COVER THE AREAS OF HOTELS, CATERING AND TOURISM, BANKING, INSURANCE, JOURNALISM, ACCOUNTANCY, WHOLESALE, RETAIL, AND IMPORT AND EXPORT.

+THESE COMMITTEES WILL CONDUCT SURVEYS AND WE SHALL THEN HAVE MORE ACCURATE DATA IN COMMERCE AND THE SERVICES ON WHICH TO PLAN OUR TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMMES,+ MR. WATERS SAID.

IN SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR, HE SAID, EVERY FULL-TIME TECHNICIAN AND CRAFT LEVEL PLACE IN THE TECHNICAL INSTITUTES WAS OVER SUBSCRIBED.

ON AVERAGE THERE WAS A RATIO OF SEVEN QUALIFIED APPLICANTS TO 1.7 PLANNED PLACES, MR. WATERS SAID.

COMMENTING ON PART-TIME DAY-RELEASE COURSES RUN BY THE TECHNICAL INSTITUTES, HE SAID THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN THIS MODE OF STUDY HAD INCREASED FROM ABOUT 600 IN 1970 TO 6 200 IN 1978/79.

THIS STRIKING INCREASE WAS PARTLY BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE 1976 APPRENTICESHIP ACT AND THE DESIGNATION OF 36 TRADES WHICH STIPULATED COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE AT THE COURSES FOR CRAFT APPRENTICES UNDER THE AGE OF 19, MR. WATERS SAID,

›CREDIT MUST ALSO BE GIVEN TO A NUMBER OF ENLIGHTENED AND FAR-SIGHTED EMPLOYERS WHO WERE ABLE TO SEE THE LONG-TERM VALUE OF RELATED TECHNICAL EDUCATION FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES,+ HE ADDED.

SPEAKING OF THE ECONOMIC ACHIEVEMENTS OF HONG KONG, MR. WATERS SAID IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT A SOUND SYSTEM OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

+AS THE TERRITORY MOVES TOWARDS GREATER DIVERSIFICATION AND TRADING-UP WITHIN INDUSTRY TAKES PLACE THE NEED FOR THE REVAMPING OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION, IN ORDER TO KEEP IN STEP WITH INDUSTRY, WILL BE ESSENTIAL, HE SAID.

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