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As Hong Kong is developing into a knowledge-based economy, the Government has in recent years introduced a number of programmes to upgrade the quality of manpower. Nowadays, secondary school leavers have more education opportunities and wider choices in course selection.
Officiating today (July 29) at the launching ceremony of the "Information Expo for Secondary School Leavers 2006", Principal Assistant Secretary for Education and Manpower, Miss Charmaine Lee, said that at present there were 20 education providers offering accredited self-financing post-secondary programmes.
In 2006-07, these institutions will provide nearly 300 courses offering around 26,500 student places at degree and sub-degree levels.
"Starting from the 2005-06 academic year, the Government has increased by phases the number of publicly funded Year Two and Year Three places in local universities, so that more sub-degree graduates with outstanding academic results can continue their studies at universities," Miss Lee said.
Apart from publicly-funded places, sub-degree graduates can choose to study self-financing degree places offered by other local institutions or pursue overseas self-financing articulation courses. At present, there are 150 institutions in 10 countries/territories which recognise local Associate Degree qualifications.
"Moreover, over 20 professional bodies would grant recognition or exemptions from parts of their professional examinations for some sub-degree programmes," Miss Lee said, adding that the Government has also taken the lead in accepting Associate Degree qualifications for appointment to civil service posts.
To cater for students who fail to obtain satisfactory results in the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination and mature students who for one reason or another, could not complete their secondary education, Project Yi Jin (PYJ) provides them with an alternative route to continuing education. More than 25,000 students have taken PYJ courses in the past six years.
Also officiating at the event, Assistant Commissioner for Labour (Employment Services), Mr Tsang Kin-woo, said that with the economic recovery, the overall employment situation had improved, providing more job opportunities for secondary school leavers.
"Between May and June this year, the Labour Department received 12,695 vacancies suitable for Form Five to Form Seven graduates, representing an increase of 8.9% compared with the same period last year," Mr Tsang said.
"Half of the vacancies come from business services, import and export, retail and property management; while half of the positions offered are clerk, instructor, shop assistant, salesman and business representative, etc.
"The Labour Department's Youth Pre-employment Training Programme (YPTP), which provided pre-employment training for young people aged between 15 and 19, had trained more than 73,000 students over the past seven years.
"YPTP offers 12,000 places for school-leavers each year to provide them with practical working experiences through pre-employment training," Mr Tsang said.
As for the Youth Work Experience and Training Scheme (YWETS), which offers on-the-job training for young people aged between 15 and 24, Mr Tsang said that to date, more than 28,000 students were employed as trainees while about 15,000 students had found jobs in the open market with the assistance of their case managers.
YPTP and YWETS are accepting joint applications starting from today and there are sufficient places to accommodate all applicants.
The Expo will provide secondary school leavers with the latest information on further studies and employment opportunities so as to facilitate them in planning for their future. They can also register on the spot for Labour Department's employment services.
Apart from the Expo, EMB and the Labour Department will set up centres in Wan Chai, Kowloon Tong and Sheung Shui from August 7 to 12 to provide advisory services to Secondary Five school leavers and their parents. They will also set up a counselling hotline, 2115 8622, and an internet chatroom.
For more information on the above services for secondary school leavers, please visit the websites: www.hkedcity.net/project/infoexpo/ and www.labour.gov.hk/careers.
Ends/Saturday, July 29, 2006
Issued at HKT 11:56
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