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The Commission on Poverty (CoP) Task Force on District-based Approach chaired by Dr Law Chi-Kwong held its second meeting this morning (March 15).
Discussed at the meeting were the findings and recommendations in the draft report, District Study on Employment Assistance, commissioned by the CoP. The report was based on interviews with relevant government departments, services operators and the unemployed in order to examine the delivery of employment services at the district level, in Yuen Long, Sham Shui Po and Kwun Tong.
Dr Law, the Chairman, said the draft report served as a useful basis for the Commission to examine closely the delivery of employment assistance by different agencies from the angle of the unemployed, in particular the "difficult-to-employ" who need more targeted assistance to help them find work and become self-reliant.
"The unemployed should be at the centre of our employment service. Through improving service interface and strengthening district networking, I hope we can move towards a more integrated service that addresses the needs of the unemployed," Dr Law added.
The report gives 18 recommendations, including the following areas:
* strengthening coordination between different government agencies delivering employment services;
* strengthening the role of the Job Centres to assist the "difficult-to-employ";
* strengthening retraining services and encouraging post-employment support and life-long learning to avoid the possibility of the employed becoming unemployed again;
* establishing a professional standard for practitioners of employment services so that they can provide a more effective service to the unemployed;
* strengthening networking and coordination at district level to make the best use of local resources; and
* providing incentives to motivate the unemployed during the transitional period from unemployment to work.
The report will be submitted to the CoP for its consideration at its upcoming meeting on March 27.
The meeting also took note of the progress of poverty alleviation work in the three pilot districts, Yuen Long, Sham Shui Po and Kwun Tong. A more in-depth study of the existing district management process and practices, and how they contribute to the livelihood of the disadvantaged in the community will be conducted. The meeting also noted the Government's commitment to the district-based approach in alleviating poverty by earmarking $150 million for the next five years in the 2006/07 Budget. The Task Force would consider how best to make use of the additional resources to reinforce the district-based approach later this year.
The agenda and papers of the meeting are available at the commission's official website: www.cop.gov.hk.
Ends/Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Issued at HKT 16:56
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