XN000022-1984-05-12 — Page 11

NOTE TO EDITORS:

SATURDAY, MAY 12, 1984

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WATCHES AND CLOCKS

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THE DIRECTOR OF TRADE, MR HAMISH MACLEOD, WILL OFFICIATE AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE THIRD HONG KONG WATCH AND CLOCK FAIR ON MONDAY (MAY 14) AT 10.30 AM, ROOM PACIFICA, 4TH FLOOR, FURAMA HOTEL.

CAREERS MASTERS HEAR ABOUT INDUSTRIAL TRAINING

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SOME STUDENTS FIND LEARNING WHILE WORKING IN INDUSTRIAL TRAINING CENTRES MORE STIMULATING AND SATISFYING THAN STUDYING IN SCHOOLS, MR MORRIS MORGAN, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL (VTC) SAID TODAY (SATURDAY).

SPEAKING TO SOME 160 SECONDARY SCHOOL CAREERS MASTERS AT A SEMINAR ON INDUSTRIAL TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES, MR MORGAN SAID THAT THE VTC TRAINING CENTRES WILL PROVIDE REAL-LIFE TRAINING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WHO WANT TO JOIN INDUSTRY.

HE SAID THAT EIGHT TRAINING BOARDS UNDER THE AEGIS OF THE VTC WERE SETTING UP TRAINING CENTRES FOR THEIR INDUSTRIES IN TWO INDUSTRIAL TRAINING CENTRE COMPLEXES, ONE IN KOWLOON BAY AND ONE IN KWAI CHUNG.

FIVE INDUSTRIAL TRAINING CENTRES TO BE HOUSED IN THE $110 MILLION KOWLOON BAY COMPLEX WILL SOON START TO TRAIN VARIOUS LEVELS OF TECHNICAL MANPOWER REQUIRED BY THE ELECTRONICS, HOTEL, METAL WORKING, PLASTICS AND PRINTING INDUSTRIES.

+THESE CENTRES WILL BE FULLY OPERATIONAL IN JANUARY 1985, BUT MOST OF THEM WILL START ADMITTING TRAINEES IN SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR AND SEND THEM TO TECHNICAL INSTITUTES FOR THEORETICAL TRAINING, MR MORGAN SAID.

THE COURSES OFFERED IN THE CENTRES WILL BE FREE, AND TRAINEES WILL BE GIVEN ALLOWANCES OF $100 A WEEK.

A TOTAL OF 18 FULL-TIME AND TWO PART-TIME COURSES, RANGING FROM 30 HOURS TO ONE YEAR IN LENGTH, WILL BE OFFERED IN THE FIVE CENTRES.

+THERE WILL ALSO BE CAREER ADVISORY AND PLACEMENT SERVICES FOR GRADUATING TRAINEES TO ENABLE THEM TO FIND EMPLOYMENT AS PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS IN INDUSTRY.

+THE SYSTEM WHICH HAS BEEN DEVISED FOR THE TRAINING CENTRES MAKES NOT ONLY ECONOMIC SENSE BY PROVIDING TRAINED MANPOWER FOR INDUSTRY, BUT ALSO MAKES GOOD SENSE SOCIALLY IN THAT THESE TRAINED WORKERS ARE PUT INTO DIRECT CONTACT WITH POTENTIAL

EMPLOYERS, HE REMARKED.

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