ENG-1992 — Page 131

EMPLOYMENT

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employees, training authorities and government was established to manage the funds and advise on the planning and implementation of the scheme. The Local Employment Service is responsible for processing applications under the scheme and assisting the retrainees in finding employment.

The Selective Placement Division helps disabled persons integrate into the community by providing a free employment counselling and placement service for hearing impaired, sight impaired, physically disabled, mentally retarded and ex-mentally ill persons seeking open employment.

The division launched various activities to promote its work and the employability of the disabled. These included district-based exhibitions, presentation of awards to employers and disabled employees, and quarterly newsletters for distribution to employers of various trades and industries. Pamphlets concerning employment of people with various disability types were also issued to members of the public. Promotional visits were made regularly in order to widen the employment opportunities of disabled job-seekers.

Careers Guidance

The Careers Advisory Service of the Labour Department is responsible for promoting careers education in Hong Kong.

The service operates careers information centres, each equipped with a reference library, an audio-visual unit with sound-on-slides, cassette tapes and videos, and an enquiry service on employment and training opportunities. It also produces written and audio-visual resource materials including careers pamphlets, job sheets, slide presentations and films. These materials are made available to the public free of charge.

The service organises a wide range of careers activities for young people including careers seminars, quizzes, exhibitions and visits to commercial and industrial establish- ments. In February, it joined hands with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council for the first time in staging the Education and Careers Expo '92 which attracted more than 160 000 visitors.

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The service also helps in the training of careers teachers. Every year it organises a seminar on careers education in conjunction with the Education Department and Hong Kong Association of Careers Masters and Guidance Masters, and runs a certificate course for careers teachers jointly with the Education Department and the University of Hong Kong.

Foreign Workers

The Immigration Department is responsible for controlling the entry of foreign workers. Generally speaking, a foreigner may be permitted to work or invest in Hong Kong if he possesses a special skill, knowledge or experience of value to and not readily available in Hong Kong, or if he is in a position to contribute to the economy. To maintain Hong Kong's economic competitiveness, the Immigration Department always ensures that the policy is well understood by employers and is flexibly applied. Genuine businessmen and entrepreneurs are welcome to establish a presence in Hong Kong, bringing with them the needed capital and expertise. Qualified professionals, technical staff, administrators and managerial personnel are also admitted with minimum formalities.

During the year, 13 859 professionals and persons with technical, administrative or managerial skills from more than 50 countries were admitted for employment.