XN000022-1985-04-17 — Page 19

WEDY-ISE.

4

APRIL 17, 1985

TRAINING

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MR CHAN YING-LUN ALSO SPOKE OF THE NEED TO GROOM UPCOMING OFFICERS TO SHOULDER HEAVIER RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE YEARS AHEAD. I CAN ASSURE MEMBERS THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS TAKING POSITIVE STEPS TO ENSURE THAT CIVIL SERVANTS ARE EQUIPPED WITH THE NECESSARY SKILLS TO COPE WITH THE INCREASING DEMANDS IMPOSED ON THEM AS A RESULT OF THE GROWING DIVERSITY AND COMPLEXITY OF GOVERNMENT BUSINESS. SPECIFICALLY IN RECENT YEARS, THE GOVERNMENT HAS PLACED INCREASING EMPHASIS ON MANAGEMENT SKILLS. ESPECIALLY FOR OFFICERS WHO ARE EXPECTED TO FILL SENIOR DIRECTORATE POSTS IN THE FUTURE. MORE THAN 60 OFFICERS HAVE ATTENDED A 3-MONTH IN-HOUSE MANAGEMENT TRAINING PROGRAMME RUN BY THE SENIOR STAFF COURSE AND ANOTHER 100 WILL HAVE COMPLETED THE FIFTH COURSE BY JUNE 1936. AND HERE I WOULD LIKE TO PAY A TRIBUTE TO THE STAFF OF THE COURSE AND TO THE ADVISORY BOARD HEADED UP BY MR LEN SNEDDON AND MR F.K.

1 RESPECTIVELY. IN ADDITION, A SERIES OF IN-HOUSE COURSES ON FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT FOR SENIOR OFFICERS IS BEING DESIGNED AND THE FIRST ONE IS EXPECTED TO BE CONDUCTED LATER THIS YEAR.

FINALLY, MRS RITA FAN AND MR CARL TONG QUESTIONED THE NEED FOR OVERSEAS TRAINING FOR CIVIL SERVANTS. THE GOVERNMENT IS, OF COURSE, MINDFUL OF THE HIGHER COSTS INVOLVED IN OVERSEAS TRAINING WHEN COMPARED WITH LOCAL TRAINING. AS A MATTER OF POLICY, OVERSEAS TRAINING IS PROVIDED ONLY WHEN NO SUITABLE PROGRAMMES ARE AVAILABLE LOCALLY OR, IF THEY ARE AVAILABLE, WHEN THERE ARE INSUFF! CIENT PLACES TO MEET THE DEMAND. OF THE $23.7 MILLION PROVIDED FOR OVERSEAS TRAINING IN THE 1985-86 DRAFT ESTIMATES. $8 MILLION (34 PER CENT) WILL BE USED TO FINANCE 171 SCHOLARSHIPS UNDER THE GOVERNMENT TRAINING SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME. MOSTLY IN THE LEGAL AND PARA-MEDICAL FIELDS WHERE WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED PERSISTENT LUCALISATION DIFFICULTIES DUE TO INSUFFICIENT OR NON-EXISTENT TRAINING FACILITIES LOCALLY. COURSES AT OVERSEAS INSTITUTIONS ARE INEVITABLY MORE EXPENSIVE THAN COURSES PROVIDED BY LOCAL INSTITUTIONS NOT JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE OVERSEAS, BUT ALSO BECAUSE THEY OFTEN LAST MUCH LONGER: A DEGREE LEVEL SPEECH THERAPY COURSE, FOR INSTANCE, TAKES FOUR YEARS TO COMPLETE.

THE REMAINING $15.7 MILLION (66 PER CENT) PROVIDED FOR OVERSEAS TRAINING IN THE DRAFT ESTIMATES WILL BE USED MAINLY TO FINANCE PROGRAMMES WHICH ARE DESIGNED TO DEVELOP SPECIALI SED KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS REQUIRED TO MEET THE OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF DEPARTMENTS, AND WHICH ARE SIMPLY NOT AVAILABLE IN HONG KONG. EXAMPLES OF THESE COURSES ARE AIRPORT FIRE-FIGHTING, BRIDGE ENGINEERING, VARIOUS FORMS OF SPECIALIST MEDICAL TRAINING AND COMPUTER CRIME INVESTIGATION.

/AS IT