400 places under Navigation Scheme for Young Persons in Care Services available for application
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A spokesman for the SWD said that the Government launched the Navigation Scheme in July 2015, providing a total of 1 000 training places in the coming years to encourage young persons aged 18 to 25 who have completed Form 5 or possess an equivalent qualification to join the elderly or rehabilitation care services.
The spokesman said five NGO operators, namely Evangelical Lutheran Church Social Service - Hong Kong, Haven of Hope Christian Service, Yang Memorial Methodist Social Service, Caritas - Hong Kong and the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, had recruited a total of 569 trainees in the past two years. Through the Navigation Scheme, opportunities for employment and training, including a two-year part-time course under government subsidy, will be offered to young persons who are interested to work in care services in the welfare sector, so that they may develop their profession along an established career path through on-the-job training.
"Under the Navigation Scheme, young persons will be arranged to take up care work in elderly or rehabilitation service units. Before that, the operating agencies shall arrange for young persons to attend an orientation programme, including personal care worker training and a first aid certificate course, with a view to equipping them for entering the care sector.
"Young persons will be required to work 44 hours per week (including meal break) in the service units where they are employed with a starting monthly salary of $10,670 for those who join the Scheme and work as Care Worker in 2017-18. Upon their registration as Health Worker, the monthly salary will be raised to $12,820. Furthermore, the elderly and rehabilitation service units offering job placement shall provide mentorship as well as employment guidance and support for young persons to facilitate their adaptation to the working environment," the spokesman said.
After taking up employment, young persons will be arranged to attend a two-year part-time course at a qualified training institute. The course fee will be processed on a reimbursement basis. Fees will be reimbursed to the trainees annually upon their successful completion of the course each year with a certificate issued by the training institute.
"Upon successful completion of the two-year part-time study, young recruits will be recognised for having a qualification at Qualification Framework Level 3 or 4. For those interested in developing their career in the care services and meeting relevant eligibility criteria, they may, on the basis of their multi-skill qualification, pursue other training, such as nursing, social work or management courses, on their own initiative and move further up their career ladder in the social welfare sector," the spokesman added.
All service operators are actively preparing a variety of publicity activities, including organising Briefing cum Recruitment Days to introduce relevant details about their respective implementation plans. They will also set up information booths in various secondary schools on July 12, the day when the results of the 2017 Hong Kong Diploma Secondary Examination are released, with a view to recruiting secondary school graduates to join the Navigation Scheme, the spokesman said.
The SWD has recently produced a video with the participation of trainees and their mentors in the service units where they are employed, to share their experience and views about the Navigation Scheme with a view to encouraging more young people to join the social welfare care services. The video (in Chinese only) can be viewed at youtu.be/eFWd6K9LiNI.
Information about the training institutes in partnership with the service operators and relevant details about their part-time training courses are available in the Annex. Those interested in joining the Navigation Scheme may contact the operating agencies through the following means:
Evangelical Lutheran Church Social Service - Hong Kong
Tel: 9538 8213; fax: 3460 5241
Email: yns@elchk.org.hk
Website: service.elchk.org.hk/yns.php
Haven of Hope Christian Service
Tel: 2643 3365; fax: 2706 0463
Email: nsypinfo@hohcs.org.hk
Website: www.hohcspti.org
Yang Memorial Methodist Social Service
Tel: 2609 1855; fax: 2602 7115
Email: ns@yang.org.hk
Website: www.yang.org.hk
Caritas - Hong Kong
Tel: 3589 2268; fax: 2537 9287
Email: hons@caritassws.org.hk
Website: sws.caritas.org.hk
Tung Wah Group of Hospitals
Tel: 3525 1218; fax: 3525 1212
Email: navigation@tungwah.org.hk
Website: www.tungwah.org.hk
For further information and enquiries about the Navigation Scheme, people may browse the SWD website (www.swd.gov.hk) or contact the Elderly Branch of the SWD at 2892 5560.
Ends/Sunday, July 9, 2017
Issued at HKT 15:00
Issued at HKT 15:00
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