XN000022-1981-10-30 — Page 4

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1981

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EMPLOYERS OF DISABLED THANKED

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THE WORK OF THE SELECTIVE PLACEMENT SERVICE OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT DEPENDS ON A BALANCE OF A SUPPLY OF SUITABLE VACANCIES AND THE AVAILABILITY OF DISABLED JOB-SEEKERS POSSESSING THE RIGHT QUALIFICATIONS.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, MR J.N. HENDERSON, TODAY (FRIDAY) WHEN HE PRESENTED SOUVENIRS TO 10 EMPLOYERS WHO HAVE EMPLOYED THE LARGEST NUMBER OF DISABLED PEOPLE THROUGH THE SPS.

THE EMPLOYERS ARE HONG KONG SECURITY LTD., BEREC INTERNATIONAL (HK) LTD., SECURITY ALLIANCE LTD., ROYAL HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB, WHEELOCK MARDEN AND CO. LTD., URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT, RADIO CONSUMER H.K. LTD., REMEX INTERNATIONAL TIME LTD., SUMMIT METAL FINISHING LTD., AND PRO-QUALITY ELECTRONIC CO. LTD.

MR HENDERSON POINTED OUT THAT IN FINDING EMPLOYMENT FOR THE DISABLED, THE SPS ADOPTED THE MORE DIFFICULT APPROACH OF PLACING THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT JOB+.

MANY VACANCIES, HE EXPLAINED, COULD NOT BE FILLED BECAUSE THERE WAS NO DISABLED PERSON WITH SUITABLE QUALIFICATIONS REG ISTERED WITH THE SPS.

CONVERSELY, THERE WERE ALSO OFFERS WHICH WERE TURNED DOWN BY DISABLED PEOPLE ON THE GROUNDS THAT THEY WERE UNATTRACTIVE OR UN INTERESTING.

+PLACEMENT OFFICERS THEREFORE HAVE THE DIFFICULT CHOICE OF WHETHER TO ADHERE TO THE ADOPTED APPROACH OR TO SIMPLY INFLATE THE PLACEMENT RATE BY INFLUENCING THE JOB-SEEKERS INTO ACCEPTING UNSATISFACTORY POSITIONS. THEY HAVE CHOSEN NOT TO DEPART FROM THE ORIGINAL APPROACH,+ MR HENDERSON ADDED.

MR HENDERSON WENT ON TO SAY THAT THE PRESENTATION WAS MADE TO MARK THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF DISABLED PERSONS 1981 AND TO EXPRESS HIS DEPARTMENT'S APPRECIATION TO EMPLOYERS WHO HAD GIVEN WORK TO DISABLED PEOPLE THROUGH THE SPS.

THE WORK OF THE SPS, HE ADDED, ALSO DEPENDED ON MORE EMPLOYERS HAVING A MUCH LARGER MEASURE OF CONFIDENCE IN THE WORKING ABILITY OF THE DISABLED AND BE ING PREPARED TO PROVIDE GREATER EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM. QUITE A NUMBER OF EMPLOYERS HAD OPENED THE IR DOORS TO DISABLED PEOPLE, SOME FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME,

MR HENDERSON ALSO THANKED ANOTHER GROUP OF OVER 70 EMPLOYERS WHOSE NAMES APPEARED IN THE PRESENTATION CEREMONY'S PROGRAMME.

+THEY HAVE EACH EMPLOYED A SMALLER NUMBER OF DISABLED PEOPLE, BUT THE IR CONTRIBUTION TO THE WORK OF INTEGRATING THE DISABLED IS NO LESS VALUABLE.

+THEY HAVE ALL SET A VERY GOOD EXAMPLE WHICH I APPEAL TO ALL OTHER EMPLOYERS TO FOLLOW IN ORDER TO ENABLE DISABLED PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ECONOMIC GROWTH OF OUR COMMUNITY TO A GREATER DEGREE,+ HE SAID.

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