TNAG-0735-FCO40-939-Policy-objective-for-the-developing-of-Hong-Kong-in-the-1980-1978 — Page 48

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Training Council will recommend the designation of several more trades,

which are common to both industries, in the near future.

I thank Mr. Allen Lee for his encouraging reference to the

merits of Apprenticeship. Members may be interested to know that arising

out of the efforts of the Industrial Training Branch the number of

apprentices registered under the Apprenticeship Crdinance has risen from

about 3,500 by end of 1977 to about 6,000 this year. This increase has

resulted in a substantial increase in the enrolment of part-time day

release students in the technical institutes this year.

You also informed Members, Sir, that you intended to appoint

further training boards and committees to cater for the training needs

of the commercial and service sectors. I hope these appointments will

take effect from 1st January 1979. Members may be interested to know

that the technically qualified staff needed to service these training

boards and committees is now being recruited and that I hope I shall be

able to provide service to some of, if not all, these boards and committees

by early 1979.

Mr. Cheong-leen referred to a survey on the vocational

training and employment problems facing young people living in the

Chaiwan Temporary Housing Area. As I understand it the main conclusion

from the survey was the need to ensure that these young people were

informed or had access to the information about how to obtain training

and what opportunitics were available.

The Industrial Training Branch has been liaising with the

Housing Department on how best to inform young people in these areas

of the training opportunities available in industry, as well as to assist

/them

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