XN000022-1984-09-03 — Page 8

LONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1984

UP IN THE SKY, SHE IS AGILE AND DEFT. ON THE GROUND, SHE HAS IMPRESSED HER INSTRUCTOR AND CLASSMATES AND NOW, HER COLLEAGUES, WITH HER ENTHUSIASM FOR WORK, CARRYING BULKY BUNDLES OF BAMBOOS WITH SEEMING EASE.

+1 WILL CERTAINLY ENCOURAGE GIRLS TO JOIN THE TRADE IF THEY ARE INTERESTED, BUT OF COURSE IT DEPENDS ON ONE'S PHYSICAL STRENGTH AND TEMPERAMENT, SHE SAID.

WORKING HAS INCREASED YUET-NGOR'S INTEREST IN THE TRADE.

+1 ENJOY PUTTING WHAT I'VE LEARNT INTO PRACTICE, BUT I ALSO HOPE TO BECOME AN EMPLOYER IN THE SAME FIELD ONE DAY, SHE SAID WITH DETERMINATION,

WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE PROSPECTS OF THIS UNIQUE TRADE, MR KO EXPRESSED COMPLETE CONFIDENCE.

+BAMBOO SCAFFOLD HAS NUMEROUS ADVANTAGES OVER 'MODERN' METHODS, SUCH AS STEEL-FRAME CONSTRUCTION. THE COST IS MUCH LOWER, AND A BAMBOO SCAFFOLD CAN EASILY BE CONSTRUCTED TO SUIT VARYING BUILDING SHAPES,+ HE SAID.

+BAMBOO OCCUPIES MUCH LESS STORAGE SPACE AND CAN BE EASILY TRANSPORTED.

+AT PRESENT BAMBOO0 SCAFFOLDING IS BEING USED IN HONG KONG FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF OVER 90 PER CENT OF THE BUILDINGS. THIS METHOD IS UNLIKELY TO BE REPLACED FOR A LONG TIME, HE ADDED,

AT THE KWAI CHUNG CENTRE, THERE ARE OVER 600 TRAINEES ATTENDING ONE-YEAR COURSES RELATED TO THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY. THEY COVER SUCH SKILLS AS BRICKLAYING AND PLASTERING, PLANT MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR.

+THESE COURSES ARE CHOSEN TO MEET MANPOWER NEEDS AS DETERMINED BY PERIODICAL SURVEYS CONDUCTED BY THE BUILDING AND CIVIL ENGINEERING INDUSTRY TRAINING BOARD OF THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL,+ SAID MR KO.

BESIDES PRACTICAL TRAINING AT THE CENTRE, TRAINEES ALSO TAKE UP RELATED THEORIES IN A TECHNICAL INSTITUTE.

THEY RECEIVE MONTHLY ALLOWANCES RANGING FROM A FEW HUNDRED DOLLARS TO OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS AND THE IR THEORY CLASSES ARE PAID FOR BY THE CENTRE.

LIKE THE KOWLOON BAY CONSTRUCTION TRAINING CENTRE SET UP IN 1977, THE KWAI CHUNG CENTRE WAS SET UP WITH TAXES LEVIED AT A RATE OF 0.25 PER CENT ON THE VALUE OF ALL CONSTRUCTION WORKS IN HONG KONG EXCEEDING $250 000 EACH,

+THROUGH SYSTEMATIC TRAINING, WE HOPE NOT ONLY TO INCREASE THE OVERALL PRODUCTIVITY OF THE INDUSTRY, BUT ALSO TO PRESERVE SOME OF THE SKILLS WHICH MAY OTHERWISE BE LOST, SAID MR KO.