dirtält
taking а major step to consolidate and improve the level of English in the universities and polytechnics. For example, the British Council might consider setting up a Resources and Development Centre on the back of its Direct Teaching of English Operation to provide help to the tertiary institutions, industry, commerce and the professions with ELT materials, technical and professional training and support, equipment, methodologies and specific help with self access and study skills materials. It
need not carry out teaching, but might provide a practical resource facility. It is important that any such initiative is taken in collaboration with the institutions, and does not duplicate or run counter to other provision.
6. INTEGRATION WITH INDUSTRY
6.
1 As we have said, the changing industrial and commercial manpower needs as expressed to us have informed most of our discusisons, and we hope that the CICHE programme for Hong Kong that we have outlined here will go some way to alleviating the problems in the medium and longer term.
6.2
6.3
As well as using the traditional range of exchange activity to address the latter problem, there were a number of other points that the British Council could assist with that fall outside the scope of the CICHE programme outlined, and could be met quickly and flexibly.
We noted great interest in the UK PICKUP scheme, and other forms of continuing education and skills retraining. Visits could usefully be arranged to Technology Centres, Science Parks and the Training and Enterprise Councils, as well as to UK universities and polytechnics which offer substantial provision of continuing professional education. There is scope for industrial placements and attachments, probably in enabling industries. A whole range of subject areas are of interest, and British Council Hong Kong will no doubt follow up, but of great importance are design engineering, product marketing, quality control and practically anything which offers value added. Some institutions and agencies were interested in expertise databases. When the Research Grants Council has determined its policies for certain strategic areas, there are opportunities for cooperation with the Research Councils in Britain. We recommend also that the British Council follow up possible activities in the two new Technical Colleges, and initiatives with the Vocational Training Council and the Industrial Estates Corporation.
The Secretary for Education and Manpower told us that there is an acute need for the tertiary institutions to develop further the facilities and expertise for contract research and consultancy for industry. He wishes to see the institutions in a position to set
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