******************************************************
The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, announced today (August 13) the start of the year-round enrolment for the YPTP¡EYWETS Programme from tomorrow (August 14). He urged interested youngsters to join the programme to develop their work skills and competitiveness.
Speaking at the "2009/10 YPTP¡EYWETS Programme Kick-off cum Award Ceremony of Most Improved Trainees 2009", Mr Cheung said that the Labour Department strived to continuously improve the Youth Pre-employment Training Programme (YPTP) and the Youth Work Experience and Training Scheme (YWETS).
The two programmes have now evolved into a "through train", providing young people with seamless and comprehensive pre-employment training, internship opportunities, on-the-job training and employment support. Mr Cheung noted that the integration of the two programmes would enable the services to scale new heights and expand their scope.
"The integrated programme will operate on a larger scale and accept enrolment throughout the year. We will enhance our efforts to organise more tailor-made training-cum-employment projects with employers and training bodies and identify more internship opportunities from different sectors for sub-degree holders," Mr Cheung said.
He added that the quality of the integrated programme would be improved, with its personalised career guidance and counselling services by registered social workers extended by one year.
At the ceremony today, Mr Cheung presented awards to 10 outstanding trainees who had achieved significant improvements in personal development, leadership, social service or work performance under the YPTP and YWETS. He encouraged the award winners to continue their drive to achieve their goals in career development. He also thanked the participating employers and training bodies for their dedication and appealed for wider community support to promote youth employment.
Also speaking at the ceremony, the Commissioner for Labour, Mrs Cherry Tse Ling Kit-ching, said the integration of YPTP and YWETS marked a milestone in the Labour Department's youth employment services.
"The YPTP¡DYWETS Programme will be more flexible under the year-round enrolment approach in that young people can join the programme any time throughout the year according to their wish. We will also enhance the employment support and personal development aids to trainees under the new programme with the aim to provide seamless, comprehensive and appropriate services in the areas of continuing education and skills upgrading to young people," she said.
Since the launching of the YPTP in 1999, 90,000 young people have been trained, and 61,000 young people have secured employment under the YWETS since its inception in 2002. The Government has earmarked $326 million for the "YPTP-YWETS Programme" to help young job-seekers secure employment amidst the financial tsunami. It will provide a total of 35,000 training places.
The 'YPTP¡DYWETS Programme 2009/10' is open to young people aged 15 to 24 with educational attainment at sub-degree level or below and is free-of-charge. Enrolment for the programme will start from tomorrow (August 14).
For details, please visit the website of Youth Employment Services of the Labour Department at www.yes.labour.gov.hk. The Labour Department has also set up a special Youth Employment Services hotline, 2112 9932, to provide an enquiry service on the programme and to receive training vacancies from employers.
Ends/Thursday, August 13, 2009
Issued at HKT 16:35
NNNN
