ENG-1984 — Page 168

132

EDUCATION

and industrial training suited to the developing needs of Hong Kong; to set up, develop and operate training schemes for training operatives, craftsmen, technicians and technologists necessary to maintain and improve Hong Kong's industry, commerce and services; and also to establish, operate and maintain technical institutes and industrial training centres.

Under the council are 19 training boards and six general committees. The train- ing boards cover major economic sectors: accountancy; automobile; banking; building and civil engineering; clothing; electrical; electronics; hotel, catering and tourism; insurance; jewellery; journalism; machine shop and metal working; merchant navy; plastics; printing; shipbuilding and ship repair; textiles; transport and physical dis- tribution; and wholesale, retail, import and export trades. The six general committees deal with apprenticeship and trade testing; training in electronic data processing; management and supervisory training; technical education; technologist training and translation.

The training boards assess the future manpower needs of their respective industries or commercial sectors and recommend measures to meet such needs, prepare job specifications, design training programmes and trade test guidelines, and carry out other duties such as operating and maintaining training centres. The general committees are responsible for specific training areas which cut across several sectors of the economy. The council, its training boards and committees are serviced by the Technical Education and Industrial Training Department which acts as its executive arm. Most of the officers in the department work directly to the council through its executive director who is also the head of the department.

During the year, nine manpower surveys were conducted, covering the fields of accountancy; automobile; banking; electronics; machine shop and metal working; merchant navy; printing; shipbuilding; and wholesale/retail and import/export. A special survey was also carried out on management and supervisory training. In the same period, the training boards prepared or revised job specifications, training programmes and trade test guidelines for all principal jobs in their industries. A glossary of common technical terms used in commerce and services was also being finalised. All completed survey reports and manuals are on sale at the Government Publications Centre.

Technical Education

―

The five existing Technical Institutes Morrison Hill, Kwai Chung, Kwun Tong, Haking Wong and Lee Wai Lee - continued to provide courses at craft and technician levels by full-time, block-release, part-time day release and part-time evening attendance. A number of short courses were also offered, providing updated knowledge and skills. The main disciplines covered by the institutes include: clothing, commercial studies, construction, design, electrical engineering, general studies, hotel-keeping and tourism studies, industrial technology, marine and fabrication, mechanical engineering, motor vehicle engineering, printing and textiles.

Most technician level courses have been validated by the UK Business and Technician Education Council (BTEC). Students attending these courses are able to register for the council's awards. BTEC qualifications are recognised for qualification or exemption purposes by many professional and technical bodies in the United Kingdom.

The demand for places on most courses continued to be high. The average ratio of qualified applicants to full-time places was 11:1. Student enrolments for the 1984-5 academic year were about 6 200 full-time, 10 700 part-time day, and 26 400 part-time evening students. In September 1984, the full-time teaching establishment of the technical institutes was about 500, with about 400 supporting staff.