XN000022-1987-01-08 — Page 5

THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 1987

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CIVIL SERVICE OFFERS CHALLENGING CAREERS

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THE RAPID SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT IN HONG KONG HAS MADE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AN EVEN MORE CHALLENGING JOB FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN SERVING THE PUBLIC, THE SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, MR DONALD LIAO, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

+AT THE SAME TIME, THE INCREASED PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN THE FORMULATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF GOVERNMENT POLICIES HAS MADE JOBS IN THE CIVIL SERVICE MORE EXCITING AND REWARDING,+ HE SAID.

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE CIVIL SERVICE CAREERS EXHIBITION AT THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC, MR LIAO SAID THAT WHEN JOINING THE SERVICE CIVIL SERVANTS WERE NORMALLY EXPECTED TO COMMIT THEMSELVES TO A LIFE-LONG CAREER IN SERVING THE PUBLIC.

THEY WERE REQUIRED TO GIVE SERVICE WITH A HIGH DEGREE OF EFFICIENCY AND PRODUCTIVITY.

+TO MEET THE DEMAND FOR IMPROVED PUBLIC SERVICES AS WELL AS THE GROWTH IN COMPLEXITY AND VOLUME OF WORK, GOVERNMENT HAS TO CAST ITS NET WIDE TO RECRUIT WELL-QUALIFIED, TALENTED AND HARDWORKING YOUNG PEOPLE EVERY YEAR,+ MR LIAO SAID.

HE NOTED THAT THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC HAD ALWAYS BEEN FORTHCOMING IN PROVIDING NEW RECRUITS OF THE RIGHT CALIBRE AND TRAINING TO FILL GOVERNMENT POSTS.

BY OFFERING A GREAT NUMBER OF COURSES IN A WIDE SPECTRUM OF DISCIPLINES, THE POLYTECHNIC HAD CATERED FOR THE NEED FOR TRAINED PERSONNEL IN VARIOUS PROFESSIONS WITHIN THE SERVICE.

IN 1985, ABOUT NINE PER CENT OF THE 2 600 POLYTECHNIC GRADUATES JOINED THE GOVERNMENT, AND MR LIAO WAS CONFIDENT THAT MORE GRADUATES WOULD BE INTERESTED IN JOINING THE CIVIL SERVICE IN THE FUTURE.

+ON THE WHOLE, MOST OF THE JOBS FOR THE PROFESSIONALS AND ADMINISTRATORS IN THE CIVIL SERVICE HAVE GROWN IN COMPLEXITY, HE SAID.

+QUALITY DECISION-MAKING OFTEN REQUIRES GOOD POLITICAL SENSE AND A GOOD CIVIL SERVANT IS OFTEN SAID TO REQUIRE SUCH QUALIFICATIONS AS DETERMINATION, SOUND JUDGEMENT, PERSERVERANCE, 'ALL-ROUNDEDNESS' AS WELL AS 'SENSE AND SENSITIVITY'.

+BESIDES THE REQUISITE KNOWLEDGE OF THE JOB AND INTER-PERSONAL SKILLS, HE OR SHE IS ALSO EXPECTED TO HAVE AN APPRECIATION OF THE FEELINGS OF THE MAN-ON-THE-STREET.+

MR LIAO SAID A TOTAL OF 29 GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS WERE TAKING PART IN THE CAREERS EXHIBITION WHICH PROVIDED A FULL PANORAMA OF JOB OPPORTUNITIES IN THE CIVIL SERVICE THAT WERE RELEVANT TO THE TRAINING OF HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC GRADUATES.

+THE EXPOSURE AND CHALLENGE THAT ONE FINDS IN A CIVIL SERVICE JOB IS VERY REWARDING, HE ADDED.

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