XN000022-1984-08-21 — Page 7

TUESDAY, AUGUST 21, 1984

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TRAINING KEY TO CLOTHING INDUSTRY'S GROWTH

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THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY SHOULD IMPROVE ITS ORGANISED MANPOWER TRAINING IN ORDER TO REMAIN VIABLE AND COMPETITIVE IN INTERNATIONAL MARKETS.

THIS IS THE MAJOR RECOMMENDATION PUT FORTH IN THE 1983 MANPOWER SURVEY REPORT OF THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY JUST PUBLISHED BY THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY TRAINING BOARD OF THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL.

+PROVIDING ITS WORKERS WITH PROPER TRAINING, THE INDUSTRY WILL NOT ONLY BE ABLE TO UPGRADE THE QUALITY OF ITS PRODUCT BUT ALSO BE IN A BETTER POSITION TO ATTRACT NEW AND RETAIN ITS EXISTING WORKERS, DR FRANCIS Y.H. TIEN, CHAIRMAN OF THE TRAINING BOARD, SAID.

THE SURVEY, CONDUCTED IN SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR, SHOWED THAT THE INDUSTRY WOULD NEED AN ADDITIONAL 160 TECHNOLOGISTS, 670 TECHNICIANS, 460 CRAFTSMEN AND 15 300 OPERATIVES A YEAR TO MEET ITS GROWTH FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. THE INDUSTRY'S TOTAL EMPLOYMENT HAD INCREASED BY 12 PER CENT TO ABOUT 271 000 SINCE THE PREVIOUS STUDY IN SEPTEMBER 1981.

THE SURVEY ALSO SHOWED THERE HAD BEEN SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES OF, EMPLOYMENT AT THE TECHNICIAN LEVEL.

+THIS IS DUE TO THE GROWTH IN BUSINESS REQUIRING A LARGE NUMBER OF SUPERVISORY AND FLOOR PRODUCTION PERSONNEL,+ DR TIEN SAID.

+THE GROWTH MAY ALSO BE ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE INCREASING USE OF MODERN, SOPHISTICATED MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT, HE ADDED.

TO ENSURE A STEADY SUPPLY OF WELL-TRAINED TECHNICAL WORKFORCE IN THE INDUSTRY. DR TIEN URGED EMPLOYERS TO EMBARK ON THE TRAINING PROGRAMMES SET OUT IN THE REPORT.

THE REPORT, PUBLISHED IN ENGLISH AND CHINESE, IS NOW AVAILABLE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE AT $9.50 A COPY.

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SIR JOHN VISITS FACTORY ****

THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, SIR JOHN BREMRIDGE, TODAY (TUESDAY) TOURED A COMPUTER COMPONENT FACTORY IN TSUEN WAN AS PART OF HIS PROGRAMME OF VISITS TO LOCAL INDUSTRIES.

ACCOMPANIED BY MR PETER JOHNSON, ACTING DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF INDUSTRY, SIR JOHN ARRIVED AT THE CHINA DYEING WORKS FACTORY OF ASTEC COMPONENTS LTD, AND WAS WELCOMED BY MR WILLIAM WYLLIE, CHAIRMAN OF BSR INTERNATIONAL PLC, THE PARENT COMPANY, AND OTHER SENIOR EXECUTIVES.

ASTEC COMPONENTS,