ENG-2000 — Page 207

EDUCATION

Council (VTC) (see Vocational Training Council below) at nine campuses of the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (IVE) and 20 training centres. Separate levy- funded authorities provide industrial training for the clothing and construction. industries.

Vocational Education

Vocational education at higher technician and technician levels is provided by nine campuses of the IVE of the VTC. Courses are grouped under nine disciplines Applied Science, Business Administration, Child Care, Computing and Mathematics, Construction, Design/Printing/Textile and Clothing, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Hotel, Service and Tourism Studies, and Mechanical, Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering.

After a major restructure of IVE courses, new modularised courses are offered from 1999-2000. Many Diploma and Higher Diploma courses have been put into subject groups and share a common year-one curriculum. Diploma and Higher Diploma are awarded after two and three years of full-time post-Secondary 5 study respectively. Part-time courses are modularised on a 2 + 2 + 2 years structure for the award of Certificate, Higher Certificate and Higher Diploma respectively. In the 1999-2000 academic year, 1 712 graduates were full-time, 598 part-time day and 2 349 part-time evening at higher-technician level and 5 746 full-time, 1 324 part-time day and 3 552 part-time evening at technician level. In November, the IVE's enrolment at technician and higher-technician level was 20 302 full-time, 3 829 part-time day and 18 791 part- time evening. At the craft level, the IVE continues to offer courses in the various. disciplines to students who have completed Secondary 3 education. The number of craft-level graduates in 1999-2000 was 509 full-time, 2 472 part-time day and 1 625 part-time evening. The enrolment of craft-level students in the IVE in November for 2000-01 courses was 1 977 full-time, 5 245 part-time day and 3 590 part-time evening. The VTC continues to run the Foundation Diploma and the Certificate in Vocational Studies, for Secondary 5 and Secondary 3 school leavers respectively. Both courses place special emphasis on language and communication, numeracy and IT application, with a view to enhancing the employability of graduates, as well as providing them with an alternative route for further education. The two courses together provide 4 220 training places in 2000-01.

Technical Training

Besides offering pre-employment industrial training to new entrants to the labour market, the VTC's 20 training centres also offer upgrading training for in-service personnel at craft, technician and higher technician levels. Some 66 300 full-time and part-time places were available during the year for both school leavers and people in employment. Trade tests were offered to workers in a range of trades - automobile, building and civil engineering, electrical, jewellery, machine shop and metal working, plastics, printing and precision tooling.

Chinese Cuisine Training Institute

A Chinese Cuisine Training Institute was officially opened in December under the guidance of a newly appointed training board. The VTC is responsible for the management and operation of the institute. The institute aims to provide systematic training in the preparation of Chinese cuisine for both new entrants to the industry

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