*********************************************************
The Labour Department (LD) today (January 25) held the "Think Big . Start Young - Youth Enterprise" carnival at the Causeway Bay pedestrian zone. At the same location, the department also held a launching ceremony for the Youth Employment and Training Programme (YETP) pilot projects conducted in collaboration with the Vocational Training Council (VTC).
Members of the LD's Youth Employment Start (Y.E.S.) demonstrated the skills they learnt from self-employment training by running various businesses at the 30 retail stalls provided along the pedestrian zone by the LD for free.
Each stall owner had been coached in a one-on-one manner by an experienced trainer in self-employment. Products and services that young stall owners offered included creative gadgets, eco-friendly products, festive ornaments, handmade leather goods, DIY accessories and henna body painting.
Officiating at the opening ceremony of the carnival, the Commissioner for Labour, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, commended participating stall owners for their dedication to starting their own business. He encouraged young people interested in self-employment to make use of the good opportunity for realising their dreams.
Meanwhile, the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, officiated at the launching ceremony for the YETP pilot projects today. The two pilot projects, namely "Achieve the poTEENtial" and "Service Industries Traineeship Scheme - Retail", were jointly conducted by the LD and the VTC.
To be rolled out in the first quarter of 2014, these pilot employment projects are specifically targeted at the young and less-experienced, Mr Cheung said. Participants would be provided with skills cum on-the-job training, and assisted in ascertaining their career aspirations and entering the job market. These two projects could provide around 500 on-the-job training places every year.
While providing young people with various career choices in addition to on-the-job training, the projects could also meet employers' various manpower needs, Mr Cheung said. He also appealed to employers and enterprises to give young people more chances for on-the-job training by participating in the projects.
In the carnival, members of the public were introduced the Y.E.S. one-stop employment and self-employment support services provided for young people aged between 15 and 29. YETP, which provides various forms of pre-employment and on-the-job training for school leavers aged between 15-24 with educational attainment at sub-degree or below level, was also publicised in the event. Registration as Y.E.S. members and enrolment as YETP trainees were offered to qualified young people on the spot.
Ends/Saturday, January 25, 2014
Issued at HKT 18:53
NNNN
