XN000022-1980-11-15 — Page 4

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1980

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A GREAT DEAL OF CONTINUING AND ADULT EDUCATION WAS ALSO BEING PROVIDED BY THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC AND TECHNICAL INSTITUTES OPERATED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT THROUGH THEIR PART-TIME EVENING COURSES.

IN ADDITION, THE TWO UNIVERSITIES, THE POLYTECHNIC AND THE APPROVED POST-SECONDARY COLLEGES OFFERED A VARIETY OF EXTRA-MURAL STUDIES, MAINLY AT THE TERTIARY LEVEL TO CATER FOR THE ADULT POPULATION.

ON EFFORTS MADE BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR, MR HENDERSON SAID VOLUNTARY AGENCIES RAN A WIDE VARIETY OF COURSES AT DIFFERENT LEVELS WHILE MANY PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS PROVIDED FORMAL CLASSES IN THE EVENING FOR COMMERICAL, VOCATIONAL AND LANGUAGE TRAINING.

THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY TRAINING AUTHORITY AND THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TRAINING AUTHORITY OPERATED TRAINING CENTRES TO PROVIDE FORMAL BASIC VOCATIONAL TRAINING TO NEW ENTRANTS TO THE

INDUSTRIES AND ALSO FUNCTIONED AS VENUES FOR CONTINUING OR RE-TRAINING OF EXISTING WORKERS.

MR HENDERSON POINTED OUT THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD AGREED TO FINANCE A NUMBER OF INDUSTRY-WIDE TRAINING SCHEMES RECOMMENDED BY THE HONG KONG TRAINING COUNCIL FOR PROVIDING TRAINING IN THE ELECTRONICS, PLASTICS AND TEXTILES INDUSTRIES AS WELL AS IN KEY ENGINEERING TRADES.

+ONCE THE SCHEMES ARE OPERATIONAL, I HAVE LITTLE DOUBT THAT FURTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE UPGRADING AND RE-TRAINING OF WORK ING ADULTS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE. SUCH OPPORTUNITIES ARE RECOGNISED AS BEING NECESSARY, NOT ONLY FOR IMPROVING THE COMPETENCE OF OUR WORKFORCE BUT ALSO MEETING PERSONAL ASPIRATIONS AND CHANGING EMPLOYMENT SITUATIONS,+ HE NOTED.

THE COMMISSIONER WAS FULL OF PRAISE FOR THE TREMENDOUS CONTRIBUTION MADE BY CARITAS IN CONTINUING AND ADULT EDUCATION AND TRAINING.

AT PRESENT, CARITAS HAD 16 ADULT EDUCATION CENTRES LOCATED IN VARIOUS PARTS OF HONG KONG. STUDENT ENROLMENT LAST YEAR REACHED 38 000.

TO CATER FOR THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE, CARITAS RAN A WIDE GAMUT OF COURSES WHICH INCLUDED EDUCATIONAL, VOCATIONAL, PRACTICAL, CULTURAL AND RECREATIONAL AND MULTI-MEDIA EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME, SAID MR HENDERSON.

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