XN000022-1984-10-10 — Page 18

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1984

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DEMAND FOR TECHNICAL TRAINING CONTINUES

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ENROLMENT AND JOB PLACEMENT AT THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY TRAINING CENTRE WERE SATISFACTORY DESPITE THE ECONOMIC RECESSION LAST YEAR.

THE TWO CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TRAINING CENTRES ALSO EXPERIENCED NO DIFFICULTY IN RECRUITING TRAINEES AND PLACING THEM IN THE INDUSTRY UPON COMPLETION OF THEIR TRAINING LAST YEAR.

THESE FACTS ARE CONTAINED IN THE 1983 ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE CLOTHING AND CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRIES TRAINING AUTHORITIES, TABLED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEETING TODAY BY DR THE HON FRANCIS Y.H. TIEN.

LAST YEAR, ABOUT 4 700 TRAINEES COMPLETED THE COURSES OFFERED BY THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY TRAINING CENTRE AT LAI KING. THE TOTAL TRAINING CAPACITY WAS ESTIMATED TO HAVE INCREASED TO MORE THAN 6000 WHEN THE SECOND TRAINING CENTRE AT KOWLOON BAY BEGAN OPERATIONS IN JULY THIS YEAR, SAID DR TIEN, CHAIRMAN OF THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY TRAINING AUTHORITY.

+ IT WAS NOT DIFFICULT FOR THE TRAINEES TO FIND JOBS OR

FOR THE TRAINING CENTRES TO RECRUIT TRAINEES AT A TIME WHEN THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY QUICKLY RESPONDED TO AN UPSWING IN EXPORTS, PARTICULARLY TO THE UNITED STATES,+ DR TIEN SAID.

THE TOTAL VALUE OF CLOTHING EXPORTS FROM HONG KONG INCREASED BY 18.6 PER CENT TO ABOUT HK$35 180 MILLION IN 1983.

ACCORDING TO THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TRAINING AUTHORITY 1983 ANNUAL REPORT, THERE WERE SOME 1 400 TRAINEES ENROLLED IN THE EXISTING TWO CONSTRUCTION TRAINING CENTRES. THIS NUMBER EXCEEDED THE TOTAL CAPACITY OF THE TWO CENTRES BY 6.4 PER CENT.

BY THE END OF 1983, 85 PER CENT OF THESE TRAINEES HAD BEEN PLACED IN THE INDUSTRY AND BY MID-1984, VIRTUALLY ALL HAD BEEN EMPLOYED.

+THIS IS AN ENCOURAGING RESULT IN VIEW OF THE SLUGGISHNESS OF THE OVERALL CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IN 1983, PARTICULARLY IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, THE REPORT SAYS.

THE AUTHOR ITY HAD ALSO LAUNCHED A CONSTRUCTION SAFETY OFFICER COURSE IN CO-OPERATION WITH THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT AND THE BUILDING CONTRACTORS' ASSOCIATION,

THE BUILDING OF THE THIRD CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TRAINING CENTRE WAS UNDER WAY FOLLOWING THE GRANT OF A PIECE OF LAND

ON HONG KONG ISLAND BY THE GOVERNMENT LAST YEAR, THE REPORT STATES.

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