********************************************************
The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, today (August 11) assured the last batch of school-leavers sitting the HKCEE that the Labour Department's Youth Pre-employment Training Programme and Youth Work Experience and Training Scheme (YPTP&YWETS) would provide all young people in need of training and employment assistance an important safety net.
He called on interested youngsters and school-leavers to join the programme to enhance their work skills and competitiveness.
Speaking at the "2010/11 YPTP&YWETS Programme Kick-off cum Award Ceremony of Most Improved Trainees 2010", Mr Cheung said that the YPTP&YWETS integrated and enhanced last year has been providing young people with one-stop free training and employment assistance, ranging from comprehensive pre-employment training, workplace attachment training, on-the-job training to career guidance and employment support services.
"Trainees with 80% attendance or above in courses under YPTP&YWETS are entitled to a training allowance at a rate of $30 per valid training day. An allowance of $2,000 is payable to trainees upon completion of one-month workplace attachment training. Trainees who are eligible for the Transport Support Scheme may also apply for transport allowances," Mr Cheung said.
"During the on-the-job training period, a monthly training subsidy of $2,000 per trainee will be granted to the employers. Trainees are engaged as employees whilst their wages are set by the employers according to the market rates and should not be less than $4,000 per month. For instance, as at end of July this year, over 85% of the placed trainees in the 2009/10 programme year were engaged with a monthly salary of $5,000 or above. Besides, trainees receiving on-the-job training may enrol in relevant vocational courses and apply for reimbursement of course and examination fees up to $4,000 from YPTP&YWETS," he added.
Mr Cheung remarked that new elements would be introduced to the 2010/11 programme year to make the services "wider", "deeper" and "more conducive to whole-person development".
"'Wider' means that we will launch targeted employment programme to help young people aged 15 to 24 who require special training and employment assistance owing to low educational attainment, emotional or behavioural problems or learning difficulties so as to increase their employability in the open market.
"In addition, the service target of the 'Targeted Career Training Mission', which features ample flexibility in service delivery, will be extended from youths receiving outreach service to other youth groups with special needs, such as ethnic minorities and new arrivals from the Mainland to provide them with appropriate training and employment assistance," he said.
"'Deeper' refers to the enhancement in case management services, including the provision of a set of career assessment tools and updated job market information to case managers to strengthen their employment assistance and support to youths," Mr Cheung said.
In 2009/10, the Government has allocated $326 million for the integration and enhancement of the YPTP and the YWETS. There is no specified limit on training capacity of the revamped programme, which will admit all eligible young people. It is estimated that 35,000 training places will be provided in the 2009/10 and 2010/11 programme years.
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&YWETS. He encouraged the award winners to continue their drive for 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.
Since the launching of the YPTP in 1999, over 90,000 young people have been trained. On the other hand, over 60,000 young people have secured employment under the YWETS since its inception in 2002. As at the end of July 2010, over 16,500 applications have been received since the revamp of YPTP&YWETS in last September.
The YPTP&YWETS is open to young school leavers aged 15 to 24 with education attainment at sub-degree or below and is free-of-charge. Enrolment in the programme is welcome throughout the year.
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 a one-stop enquiry service on the programme and receive training vacancies from employers.
Ends/Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Issued at HKT 18:35
NNNN
