XN000022-1987-10-25 — Page 8

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1987

SHORTAGE OF SHIPBUILDING AND REPAIR CRAFTSMEN EXPECTED

FOLLOWING THE RECOVERY OF SHIPBUILDING AND REPAIR ACTIVITIES IN HONG KONG, THE SHIPBUILDING, SHIP REPAIR AND OFFSHORE ENGINEERING INDUSTRY TRAINING BOARD OF THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL FORECAST THAT THERE WOULD BE A SHORTAGE OF SKILLED CRAFTSMEN IN THE INDUSTRY FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS.

IN FACT THE SHORTAGE HAS ALREADY BEEN FELT IN THE GROUPS OF HIGHLY SKILLED SHIPWRIGHT AND CARPENTER, THE BOARD STATED IN A RECENTLY RELEASED MANPOWER SURVEY REPORT.

IT ADDED THAT THE SHORTAGE WOULD BE MORR ACUTE AS MANY OF THESE SKILLED WORKERS WOULD SOON RETIRE AND FEW REPLACEMENTS WOULD BE AVAILABLE BECAUSE YOUNG PEOPLE DID NOT FIND THE INDUSTRY ATTRACTIVE TO JOIN.

THE SURVEY CONDUCTED IN SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR REVEALED THAT IN THE LAST TWO YEARS MANY SKILLED CRAFTSMEN HAD LEFT FOR JOBS OUTSIDE THE INDUSTRY DUE TO THE DOWNTURN OF THE SHIPPING INDUSTRY, THUS CAUSING THE NUMBER OF TECHNICAL WORKFORCE OF THE SHIPBUILDING AND REPAIR INDUSTRY TO DECLINE FROM 7,800 IN 1984 TO 6,900 IN 1986.

NEVERTHELESS, THE BOARD NOTED THAT THE RECOVERY OF THE SHIPPING INDUSTRY AT THE BEGINNING OF 1987 HAD LED TO MORE SHIPBUILDING AND SHIP REPAIR ACTIVITIES WHICH IN TURN WOULD INCREASE THE DEMAND FOR SKILLED SHIPBUILDING AND REPAIR MANPOWER FOR THE YEARS TO COME.

BASED ON THESE OBSERVATIONS, THE BOARD CONCLUDED IN THE SURVEY REPORT THAT THE DROP OF MANPOWER IN THE INDUSTRY WOULD BE LEVELLING OFF AND WOULD REMAIN STEADY IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.

IT ALSO RECOMMENTED THAT EMPLOYERS SHOULD TRAIN 14

YEAR TECHNOLOGISTS, 24 TECHNICIANS AND 200 CRAFTSMEN A

TO MEET THE FUTURE MANPOWER DEMAND SO AS TO MAINTAIN THE COMPETITIVENESS OF THE INDUSTRY.

CONTAINING DETAIL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE MANPOWER STRUCTURE OF THE INDUSTRY AND FINDINGS OF THE SURVEY, THE 1986 MANPOWER SURVEY REPORT ON THE SHIPBUILDING AND SHIP REPAIR INDUSTRY IS NOW AVAILABLE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS SALES CENTRE AT $13 A COPY.

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