TNAG-0534-FCO40-629-UK-aid-to-Hong-Kong-Polytechnic-and-technical-institutions-1975 — Page 122

III.

ECONOMIC ASPECT

14.

The economic background to this project is the growing dependence

of Hong Kong's economy on technologically-based industries requiring large

inputs of manpower with technical education and associated training.

Unfortunately, no recent study exists of the demand of Hong Kong's industry

for high-level manpower. Recognising the deficiency in information the

Polytechnic Planning Committee appointed a number of Advisory Panels,

each responsible for assessing how many students should be taught, to

what levels, and in what subjects, in a particular area of study. These

panels attempted to obtain first-hand information from industry, the government,

and the professions on likely future demand for the types of manpower with

which they were concerned. Courses proposed by the Panels were then graded

in descending order of priority as:- (a) those now included in the Technical

College curriculum which meet an established demand from employers and

students alike; (b) those courses not presently taught at HKTC but which

are justifiable and can be planned and organised with locally available

expertise; (c) those courses which are controversial or would require foreign

expertise, and which should not be proceeded with until further information is

available. This ordering of priorities has been accepted by the Polytechnic

authorities.

15.

Procedures for academic planning include a formal process of continual

discussion with representatives of industry, commerce, professional bodies

and employers in order to try to ensure that Hong Kong's changing needs are

met. A further safeguard is the Polytechnic's commitment - supported by the

P

·

UGC to run a tracer system in order to find out what happens to its graduates

after they leave the Polytechnic. The information provided on Students

graduating in 1972-73 is full and detailed, and does not indicate the existence

of any employment problems at present.

16. Most existing courses to be continued in the Polytechnic (except

professional diploma courses) have a very high, and many an increasing,

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