XN000022-1983-05-22 — Page 8

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SUNDAY, MAY 22, 1983

MASS MEDIA MANPOWER SURVEY REPORT PUBLISHED

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A REPORT ON THE MANPOWER SURVEY OF THE MASS MEDIA CONDUCTED IN DECEMBER 1981 BY THE JOURNALISM TRAINING BOARD OF THE FORMER HONG KONG TRAINING COUNCIL HAS JUST BEEN PUBLISHED.

THE REPORT, ON SALE AT $14 A COPY AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE IN CENTRAL, SETS OUT TO GIVE IN ENGLISH AND CHINESE. AN OVERALL REVIEW OF THE MANPOWER AND TRAINING SITUATION IN THE MASS MEDIA INDUSTRY.

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COMMENTING ON THE FINDINGS OF THE SURVEY, MR SHUM CHOI-SANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, SAID, +AS REFLECTED BY THE SURVEY FINDINGS, IN-HOUSE PRACTICAL TRAINING PROGRAMMES ARE SCARCE.+

THE HONG KONG TRAINING COUNCIL WAS REPLACED BY THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL IN FEBRUARY, 1982.

MR CHOI ADDED THAT IF THE MASS MEDIA WERE TO PROVIDE THE PUBLIC WITH ACCURATE INFORMATION AND COMMENTS, THE PROFESSIONAL SKILLS, SALARIES AND LEVELS OF EDUCATION OF JOURNALISTS HAD TO BE IMPROVED.

+THIS IS PROMPTED BY THE FACT THAT GENERAL EDUCATIONAL LEVELS CONTINUE TO BE RAISED AND THE DEMANDS ON THE MASS MEDIA BECOME MORE COMPLEX AND SOPHISTICATED, HE SAID.

IN THE REPORT, THE BOARD HAS MADE A NUMBER OF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING JOURNALISM TRAINING IN HONG KONG.

MR SHUM POINTED OUT THAT ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS WAS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A MINIMUM PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION FOR JOURNALISTS, POSSIBLY WITH THE HELP OF THE JOURNALISM TRAINING BOARD.

HE EMPHASISED THAT THE BOARD, EMPLOYERS IN THE INDUSTRY, PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD WORK TOGETHER TO IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAMMES.

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