XN000022-1983-02-17 — Page 4

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARI 17, 1-5

THE SURVEY REPORT FOR DECEMBER 1982 IS NOW ON SALE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, GENERAL POST OFFICE, AT $1.5 PER COPY. ENQUIRIES ON THE SURVEY RESULTS MAY BE MADE TO THE INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION STATISTICS SECTION OF THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT (AT 3-7212832).

MORE PEOPLE EMPLOYED IN PRINTING INDUSTRY

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THE GROWTH IN BUSINESS IN THE LOCAL PRINTING INDUSTRY HAS BROUGHT ABOUT AN 18 PER CENT GROWTH IN THE NUMBER OF WORKERS EMPLOYED, FROM 18 403 TO 21 677 IN THE TWO YEARS SINCE MARCH 1980.

THIS WAS REVEALED IN THE REPORT OF THE 1982 MANPOWER SURVEY OF THE PRINTING INDUSTRY WHICH HAS JUST BEEN PUBLISHED BY THE PRINTING INDUSTRY TRAINING BOARD OF THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL.

THE REPORT SAID THAT AS A RESULT OF IMPROVED QUALITY AND COMPETITIVE PRICES OF LOCAL PRINTED PRODUCTS, EXPORTS OF PRINCIPAL PRINTED MATTERS INCLUDING BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, NEWSPAPERS AND JOURNALS ROSE BY 20 PER CENT TO $543 MILLION IN 1981.

THIS WAS BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE INCREASING APPLICATION OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY AND MODERN MACHINERY.

THE REPORT SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THIS HIGH GROWTH RATE WAS UNLIKELY TO BE SUSTAINED BECAUSE OF THE CURRENT WORLDWIDE ECONOMIC RECESSION, ENQUIRIES BY THE TRAINING BOARD HAD SHOWN THAT PRINTERS WERE CONFIDENT THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THE PRESENT LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE UNTIL THE OVERSEAS MARKETS PICK UP AGAIN,

IT SAID THE INDUSTRY WOULD NEED TO CONTINUE ITS TRAINING EFFORTS TO TRAIN WORKERS TO TAKE THE PLACE OF THOSE WHO WOULD BE LEAVING THE INDUSTRY EITHER THROUGH RETIREMENT, MIGRATION OR OTHER REASONS.

THE TRAINING BOARD HAD RECOMMENDED TO THE GOVERNMENT THAT A TRAINING CENTRE SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE BASIC TRAINING TO TECHNICIAN, CRAFT AND OPERATIVE TRAINEES.

THE PROPOSAL HAD BEEN ACCEPTED AND THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL WOULD UNDERTAKE TO COORDINATE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CENTRE, THE REPORT ADDED.

THE CENTRE, ABOUT 1 600 SQUARE METRES IN AREA, WOULD BE HOUSED IN A TRAINING CENTRE COMPLEX LOCATED IN KOWLOON BAY. IT IS EXPECTED TO BE IN OPERATION BY SEPTEMBER 1984 TO PROVIDE 300 TRAINING PLACES EACH YEAR.

DETAILED STATISTICAL INFORMATION ON THE MANPOWER STRUCTURE OF THE PRIT "ING INDUSTRY, THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IN EACH PRINCIPAL JOB, A FORECAST OF THE TRAINING NEEDS OF THE INDUSTRY ARE ALL CONTAINED IN THE REPORT WHICH IS ON SALE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE AT $11 A COPY.

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