XN000022-1981-08-06 — Page 3

THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 1981

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16 000 PLACED IN JOBS

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DURING THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, SOME 16 000 JOB- SEEKERS, INCLUDING 148 UNIVERSITY AND POST-SECONDARY COLLEGE GRADUATES, WERE SUCCESSFULLY PLACED IN EMPLOYMENT BY THE LOCAL EMPLOYMENT SERVICE (LES) OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT.

OFFICIATING AT THE OPENING OF ANOTHER NEW LES BRANCH OFFICE AT SHA TIN TODAY (THURSDAY), THE ACTING COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, MR J.C.A. HAMMOND, POINTED OUT THAT THE NUMBER OF SUCCESSFUL PLACEMENTS REPRESENTED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE OF 24 PER CENT OVER THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR.

ALSO OFFICIATING WERE TWO UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE SHA TIN DISTRICT BOARD, MR LAU HON-KIT AND MR NG CHAN-LAM.

THE WORK OF THE LES, HE ADDED, WAS KEPT UNDER CONSTANT REVIEW TO ENSURE THAT ANY IMPROVEMENT OR EXPANSION OF ITS SERVICES WAS GEARED TO THE NEEDS OF EMPLOYERS, JOB-SEEKERS AND THE ECONOMY AT LARGE.

ONE OF THE LES'S AIMS THIS YEAR IS TO IMPROVE ITS COVERAGE BY ESTABLISHING NEW OFFICES IN AREAS WITH LARGE POPULATIONS, SUCH AS THE SHA TIN NEW TOWN WHICH HAS 140 000 RESIDENTS.

NOTING THAT THE SUCCESS OF THE LES DEPENDED ON THE AVAILABILITY OF VACANCIES NOTIFIED BY EMPLOYERS AND THE TYPES OF JOB-SEEKERS REGISTERED, HE EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT EMPLOYERS AND JOB-SEEKERS AT SHA TIN WOULD MAKE THE BEST USE OF THE FREE SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE NEW OFFICE.

WITH THE OPENING OF THE NEW OFFICE SITUATED AT UNITS 425-428, HAU WO HOUSE, THIRD FLOOR, WO CHE ESTATE, MR HAMMOND SAID, THE LES NOW OPERATES FROM 14 OFFICES IN THE MAJOR INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL AREAS OF HONG KONG ISLAND, KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES.

THE LES IS EQUIPPED WITH A FACSIMILE SYSTEM WHICH HELPS TO INCREASE ITS EFFECTIVENESS IN THE PROCESSING OF VACANCY ORDERS.

THROUGH THIS SYSTEM, A VACANCY ORDER RECEIVED IN ANY ONE OF THE BRANCH OFFICES COULD BE TRANSMITTED SPEEDILY TO ALL THE OTHER OFFICES SO THAT SUITABLE CANDIDATES COULD BE SELECTED FROM THE COMBINED POOL OF JOB-SEEKERS AND INTRODUCED TO THE EMPLOYER WITHIN A VERY SHORT TIME, HE SAID.

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