The Correctional Services Department (CSD) jointly held the Job Fair for Rehabilitated Offenders 2016 for persons in custody today (December 7) with the Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong and Merchants Support for Rehabilitated Offenders Committee Limited at Quarry Bay Community Hall. The event venue and the correctional institutions were connected by computer video conferencing technology to provide a platform to employers to conduct interviews. The job fair aimed to offer a fair opportunity to persons in custody who will be released soon to look for a job, thus helping them to reintegrate into society more quickly after release.
 
     The President of the Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong, Dr Eddy Li, launched the event together with the Commissioner of Correctional Services, Mr Yau Chi-chiu, and the Chairman of Merchants Support for Rehabilitated Offenders Committee Limited and Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Job Fair for Rehabilitated Offenders, Dr Ho Wai-kuen.
 
     In his speech, Dr Eddy Li said that he is delighted to help rehabilitated offenders to find job opportunities and to uphold corporate responsibility to maintain social stability. Dr Li also appealed to the commercial sector to continue to support the CSD's rehabilitation work by giving fair chances to rehabilitated offenders and encouraged rehabilitated offenders to make unremitting efforts and grasp chances for contributing to a safer community.
 
     Dr Ho Wai-kuen said the job fair could assist the rehabilitated offenders to overcome difficulties by seeking a job before their release. This is essential for them to earn a living that could help them to be law-abiding citizens and build up a positive image in front of their families. In addition, he said that acceptance by their families and the community is crucial to the safety of society.
 
     Forty three business firms from 10 trades including retail, catering, electrical engineering, construction, transportation and logistics industries participated in the fair, providing more than 800 job vacancies.
  
     The vacancies included bar bender and wooden formwork fixer, kitchen assistant, waiter, warehouse keeper, driver, electrical worker, restaurant supervisor, printing services designer and housekeeper.
 
     More than 200 persons in custody from 20 institutions applied for these jobs today.

Ends/Wednesday, December 7, 2016
Issued at HKT 14:55

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