XN000022-1980-09-22 — Page 6

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1980

THREE-YEAR COURSE FOR JOURNALISTS

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THE JOURNALISM TRAINING BOARD OF THE HONG KONG TRAINING COUNCIL IS PLANNING TO LAUNCH A BASIC THREE-YEAR COURSE IN JOURNALISM, PRIMARILY DESIGNED FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL LEAVERS WHO WISH TO START A CAREER IN THE PROFESSION OF JOURNALISM.

MR SHUM CHOI-SANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE JOURNALISM TRAINING BOARD, SAID THIS TODAY (MONDAY) WHEN HE PRESENTED CERTIFICATES TO 20 WORKING CHINESE JOURNALISTS WHO HAD JUST COMPLETED THE +ENGLISH ORAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS+ COURSE.

THE FIVE-WEEK COURSE, WHICH LAID EQUAL EMPHASIS ON THEORY AND PRACTICE, WAS ORGANISED BY THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC UNDER THE SPONSORSHIP OF THE JOURNALISM TRAINING BOARD.

+THE APPRENTICESHIP SCHEMES WHICH HAVE PROVED EXCEEDINGLY SUCCESSFUL IN OTHER TRADES, WILL BE USED AS REFERENCE IN PROPOSING THIS BASIC TRAINING, SAID MR SHUM.

IN OTHER WORDS, HE SAID, +JOURNALIST+ MAY POSSIBLY BECOME ANOTHER DESIGNATED TRADE.

+SOME MEMBERS OF THE WORKING PARTY ON THIS PROPOSED TRAINING COURSE HAVE RECOMMENDED THAT SPECIAL CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO UNIVERSITY OR POST-SECONDARY GRADUATES FOR WHOM THE DURATION OF THIS COURSE SHOULD BE REDUCED TO ONE YEAR OR EVEN SHORTER.

+THIS IS A VERY SOUND SUGGESTION AND AS EVERYTHING IS STILL AT A PLANNING STAGE, MORE THOUGHT WILL BE GIVEN TO REFINING THE FINAL PROPOSAL, HE ADDED.

MR SHUM REVEALED THAT THE JOURNALISM TRAINING BOARD WILL CONDUCT A MANPOWER SURVEY AT THE END OF NEXT YEAR ON THE MEDIA WITH A VIEW TO FINDING OUT THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION OF THE JOURNAL ISM SECTOR.

+ON THE BASIS OF SURVEY FINDINGS AND THE FORECAST OF MANPOWER NEEDS, THE TRAINING BOARD WILL MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GOVERNMENT ON HOW TO MEET SUCH MANPOWER NEEDS THROUGH TRAINING, HE SAID.

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THE JOURNALISM TRAINING BOARD - ONE OF THE MANY TRAINING BOARDS AND COMMITTEES OF THE HONG KONG TRAINING COUNCIL IS PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE FOR DETERMINING THE MANPOWER REQUIREMENT OF JOURNALISM, PREPARING JOB STANDARDS FOR PRINCIPAL JOBS, AND DESIGNING TRAINING PROGRAMMES TO MEET THE RECOMMENDED JOB STANDARDS.