XN000022-1988-01-31 — Page 6

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 1988

OF THE TOTAL, 422 WERE PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED, 217 DEAF, 193 FORMERLY MENTALLY ILL, 140 MENTALLY RETARDED AND 58 BLIND.

THE SENIOR LABOUR OFFICER IN CHARGE OF THE DIVISION, MR HOUDINI HO, SAID IT WAS MOST ENCOURAGING TO NOTE THAT THE PLACEMENT OF THE EX-MENTALLY ILL AND THE MENTALLY RETARDED HAD SHOWN A MARKED INCREASE OF 75 PER CENT AND 55 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY OVER 1986.

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"THIS INDICATES A POSITIVE CHANGE IN THE ATTITUDE OF EMPLOYERS IN PROVIDING WORK OPPORTUNITIES FOR THIS TYPE OF PEOPLE. MR HO SAID.

MR HO DESCRIBED DISABLED PERSONS AS "HIGHLY MOTIVATED, RELIABLE, STABLE AND AS PRODUCTIVE AS ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY"

"OVER THE PAST YEARS, THE DIVISION HAS BROUGHT MANY SATISFIED EMPLOYERS AND DISABLED EMPLOYEES TOGETHER, HE SAID.

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"MANY EMPLOYERS HAVE BEEN EMPLOYING DISABLED WORKERS REGULARLY THROUGH US AFTER A SUCCESSFUL FIRST PLACEMENT.

"THÈSE EMPLOYERS ARE HAPPY BECAUSE THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DISABLED WORKERS IS OFTEN ON PAR WITH THEIR ABLE-BODIED EMPLOYEES."

THE SELECTIVE PLACEMENT DIVISION PROVIDES A FREE PLACEMENT SERVICE TO THE DISABLED WHO WISH TO SEEK EMPLOYMENT IN THE OPEN MARKET.

A DISABLED PERSON WHO REGISTERS WITH THE DIVISION WILL HAVE AN IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW WITH A PLACEMENT OFFICER WHO WILL FIND OUT THE CLIENT'S RESIDUAL ABILITIES EDUCATIONAL AND TRAINING BACKGROUND, WORK EXPERIENCES, APTITUDES AND ASPIRATIONS.

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DURING THE INTERVIEW, A DISABLED JOB-SEEKER WILL BE COUNSELLED ON THE PREVALENT LABOUR MARKET CONDITIONS, AND VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE WILL ALSO BE GIVEN TO ENABLE THE PERSON TO MAKE A REALISTIC CHOICE OF EMPLOYMENT.

BEFORE BEING INTERVIEWED BY A PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYER, THE JOB-SEEKER WILL BE GIVEN A BRIEFING ON SUCH MATTERS AS HOW TO DRESS PROPERLY FOR THE OCCASION, HOW TO PUT ACROSS TO THE EMPLOYER HIS OR HER BEST POINTS, OR HOW ΤΟ ANSWER QUESTIONS PROPERLY. TO PROVIDE PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT, THE PLACEMENT OFFICER WILL ACCOMPANY THE JOB SEEKER TO THE INTERVIEW.

MR HO POINTED OUT THAT THE WORK OF THE PLACEMENT NOT END WITH EFFECTING A PLACEMENT.

OFFICER DOES

"FOR A PERIOD OF ABOUT THREE MONTHS AFTER THE BEGINNING OF VISIT THE WORKER AT THE

EMPLOYMENT, THE OFFICER WILL PERIODICALLY WORK PLACE TO ENSURE THAT HE OR SHE IS SETTLING DOWN WELL IN THE JOB," HE SAID.

ALTHOUGH SOME