ENG-1997 — Page 172

EMPLOYMENT

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schemes at the rate of $400 per worker per month. In May 1996 and February 1997, the government injected another $300 million and $500 million respectively into the fund to ensure that it had adequate financial resources to expand and revamp its programmes.

The Employees Retraining Scheme offers a wide variety of day and evening courses mainly for employees aged 30 and over. Broadly speaking, these courses cover training on job search skills, job specific skills, general skills and tailor-made programmes for the disabled and the elderly. An important feature of the scheme is that employers, as end-users, are encouraged to participate as much as possible in the design and delivery of the programmes. While all full-time courses are free of charge, retrainees attending full-time courses lasting for more than one week are eligible to receive retraining allowances.

From June 1, 1997, onwards, retrainees attending part-time and evening courses, except those who are unemployed or are employed at a monthly income of less than two-thirds of the overall monthly median wage of local workers, are required to pay course fees amounting to some 20 per cent of the training costs. By the end of 1997, retraining had been provided to 114 140 persons under the scheme.

To improve the effectiveness of the ERS in meeting the requirements of employers and the retraining needs of the local workforce, the government completed a comprehensive review of the ERS in December 1996 and announced the results in June 1997. The main thrust of the proposals was that the ERS should primarily focus on providing retraining for the unemployed with no more than lower secondary education and aged 30 or above; it should provide retraining for the employed who need to receive basic skills training to sustain them in employment; and its ambit be extended to cover new arrivals. The ERB is implementing the review's results by phases.

Employing the Disabled

The Selective Placement Division of the Labour Department helps disabled persons integrate into the community through open employment. It provides a free employment counselling and placement service for the hearing impaired, sight impaired, physically disabled, chronically ill, mentally retarded and mentally restored persons.

During the year, the division launched a series of activities to promote the employment of the disabled. These included exhibitions, seminars, and presentation of awards to enlightened employers and disabled employees. Special campaigns and regular promotional visits were made to canvass vacancies and widen the employment opportunities of disabled job-seekers.

Some typical cases concerning the working abilities of disabled persons were published in various magazines to enhance employers' acceptance of people with a disability. Pamphlets and guidebooks concerning employment of people with various disability types were also issued to members of the public. With the assistance of Radio Television Hong Kong, a new series of television programmes was produced to promote the working abilities of the disabled and their integration into the community.