XN000022-1986-01-23 — Page 15

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 1986

14

IMPORTANCE OF DEVELOPING MANAGERIAL TALENT STRESSED

*****

IF HONG KONG IS TO CONTINUE WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND EXPORT-ORIENTED MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY, LOCAL MANAGERS AND EXECUTIVES MUST HAVE ADEQUATE OPPORTUNITIES TO KEEP ABREAST WITH MODERN CONCEPT AND PRACTICE OF MANAGEMENT.

SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, SIR S.Y. CHUNG, SAID THIS WHEN HE ADDRESSED A GROUP OF SENIOR MANAGERS AND EXECUTIVES IN A FORUM AT THE OPEN DAY OF THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL'S MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT CENTRE (MDC) THIS AFTERNOON.

HE SAID NEW AND MORE SOPHISTICATED MANAGEMENT TOOLS WERE NECESSARY TO KEEP PEOPLE AND MACHINES OPERATING AT HIGH PRODUCTIVITY LEVELS BECAUSE MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS AND MANAGEMENT ITSELF WERE BECOMING MORE COMPLEX.

SIR S.Y. SAID THE ADVANCEMENT OF TECHNOLOGY, SUCH AS THE USE OF COMPUTER AND MATHEMATICAL CONCEPTS IN PLANNING AND DECISION MAKING, DEMANDED MANAGERS WITH HIGHER LEVEL OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING.

ON THE OTHER HAND, HE ADDED, MANAGERS OF TODAY HAD TO COPE. WITH A NEW BREED OF MORE HIGHLY EDUCATED AND GREATER ASPIRATION WORKFORCE THAN IN THE PAST.

IT WAS GOOD TO SEE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MDC FOR DEVELOPING HONG KONG'S MANAGERIAL TALENT TO MEET THE CHANGING AND CHALLENGING DEMANDS IN THE WORLD MARKET PLACE OF THE FUTURE, SIR S.Y. SAID.

THE MDC, MANAGED BY THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL'S COMMITTEE ON MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISORY TRAINING (CMST), HAS BEEN SET UP TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF MANAGEMENT IN HONG KONG.

THE COMMITTEE'S CHAIRMAN, MR PETER BARRETT, SAID THE CENTRE HAD NOW PROVED ITS WORTH BY THE CONTINUING OVER-SUBSCRIPTION TO ITS PROGRAMMES,

IN PARTICULAR, HE SAID, THE GENERAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME, DESIGNED TO DEVELOP CONFIDENT, PROFESSIONAL GENERAL MANAGERS FOR HONG KONG BUSINESS, HAD BEEN WELL RECEIVED.

THE CENTRE ALSO PUBLISHED SOME INTERESTING RESEARCH WORK IN THE PAST YEAR AND MADE AVAILABLE INFORMATION ABOUT MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT, COURSES AND RESOURCES TO, LOCAL COMPANIES.

IN THE PLANNING STAGE WERE SOME PILOT PROJECTS IN DISTANCE OR OPEN MANAGEMENT LEARNING, IN CHINESE AND ENGLISH, THAT COULD BE USED BY BUSINESS ON AN IN-COMPANY BASIS, MR BARRETT SAID.

/15