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The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, encouraged young people planning to join the labour market to grasp the opportunity to equip themselves for future career development through the one-stop pre-employment and on-the-job training offered under the Youth Employment and Training Programme (YETP) of the Labour Department.
Speaking at the award ceremony for Most Improved Trainees of YETP 2014 today (August 24), Mr Cheung said that the Government attached great importance to youth employment. Noting that young people with no working experience would encounter great difficulty in securing their first job, Mr Cheung said the Labour Department aimed to provide tailor-made and comprehensive training and employment support services under the YETP for young school leavers aged 15 to 24 with educational attainment at sub-degree level or below. He said he was glad that over 200 000 young people had benefited from the programme so far.
"Youngsters entering the labour market are facing an uphill challenge, thus the need to provide them with training and employment service support. We aim to equip them, walk with them, and assist them to identify job opportunities through this programme," Mr Cheung said.
To keep pace with the changing needs of the labour market, the Department has been joining with employers and training institutions to organise various pilot employment projects, Mr Cheung noted. These include the TA Online - e-learning Support Training Programme, a pilot project specifically designed for associate degree graduates who are trained to support the e-learning and wireless teaching and learning environment in primary and secondary schools. In addition, the Department has recently launched the Employment Services Ambassador Programme for Ethnic Minorities to equip ethnic minorities with job skills through providing job opportunities in the Labour Department's job centres, and promoting employment services for ethnic-minority job seekers. Other major programmes, including those for Aircraft Maintenance Craftsman Trainee, Passenger Services Agent, Japanese-fashion Hair Stylist and Barista training, are organised to meet manpower needs in different industries.
Mr Cheung encouraged the youngsters to embrace the spirit of exploration and innovation and to adopt a proactive attitude in the pursuit of their dreams. He also called on employers to continue with their support for the YETP and collaborate with the Government in promoting youth development.
The award ceremony for Most Improved Trainees of YETP cum concert, held during the "Solar Project 2014 - Dream Journey with YETP" programme, was co-organised by the Labour Department and Radio 2 of Radio Television Hong Kong. The awards were presented to 10 outstanding trainees who achieved significant improvements in personal development, leadership or work performance during the training period. The aim is to encourage more youngsters to join the YETP to equip themselves in pursuing their career goals.
The YETP is open to young school leavers aged 15 to 24 with education attainment at sub-degree level or below and is free of charge. Enrolment is on a year-round basis. 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 Youth Employment Services hotline 2112 9932 to provide a one-stop enquiry service on the programme and to receive training vacancies from employers.
Ends/Sunday, August 24, 2014
Issued at HKT 19:53
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