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The Chief Executive, Mr Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, today (August 10) visited the Hong Kong East Job Centre and the Youth Pre-employment Training Programme (YPTP) Office of the Labour Department to see the development of employment services.
Mr Tsang met several youngsters, encouraging them and other Secondary Five graduates to grasp every opportunity and embrace the challenge of further studies or employment.
Accompanied by the Permanent Secretary for Economic Development and Labour, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, Mr Tsang visited the Hong Kong East Job Centre and was briefed by Mr Cheung on the latest labour market situation.
Hong Kong's total employment maintained an upward trend with the creation of about 230,000 new jobs in the past three years.
For the first half of this year, the Labour Department received 243,021 vacancies from the private sector and achieved 58,993 placements for job-seekers, up 25% and 16% respectively over the corresponding period last year.
"Although our economy has revived, globalisation has brought about competition. We will continue to strive to enable the economy to forge ahead at full steam. We will keep on investing in infrastructure, providing a business-friendly environment and creating more job opportunities," Mr Tsang said.
The Chief Executive is concerned about employment in remote districts. Learning that the Labour Department's new job centres in Yuen Long and the North District would open next month, he said they would provide more employment information and job referral service for job-seekers in the area. "This will help ease the unemployment situation in these districts."
Mr Tsang praised the service provided through the Vacancy Search Terminals at the Hong Kong East Job Centre and the Labour Department's website on interactive employment services. These facilities helped provide fast and convenient vacancy information for job-seekers. The website is the most popular government website in Hong Kong. It recorded a hit rate of 869 million last year, representing one-third of the total for all government websites.
The Chief Executive chatted with job-seekers in the job centre and encouraged them to grasp every interview opportunity. Job-seekers could consider joining the department's training schemes, such as the Work Trial Scheme and the Employment Programme for the Middle-aged, to gain work experience and enhance their employability.
Mr Tsang then visited the YPTP Office of the department, where he was briefed about the YPTP and the Youth Work Experience and Training Scheme (YWETS).
The two schemes provide school leavers with pre-employment training, work attachment and career counselling services to equip them for the labour market. More than 110,000 young people have so far received training under the schemes.
Mr Tsang met six YPTP and YWETS trainees who outlined the difficulties they encountered after they finished schooling and turned to the job market. The youngsters shared their experience in taking part in the employment training schemes and their career plans.
"Young people are valuable resources in our community. They constitute a new force in our labour market. However, their lack of work experience often affects their employment opportunities. The YPTP and YWETS can provide training for them to meet market needs and help enhance their employability as well as the opportunity to move up the career ladder," he said.
Mr Tsang also encouraged Secondary Five graduates to take into account their interest and abilities in deciding whether to pursue further studies or join the job market. He urged them to treasure every opportunity to equip themselves and to face the challenges ahead with determination so as to map out a bright career path.
Mr Tsang then officiated at a ceremony at the YPTP office to send an e-card to 100 young people who had just enrolled in the YPTP and the YWETS.
The e-card carries an encouraging message by the Chief Executive, "Someone has said that 'We know what we are but not what we can be.' Grasp the training and work attachment opportunities. Develop your potential and build a world of your own."
The Chief Executive ended his visit by meeting the department's frontline staff. He praised their devotion and professionalism in promoting employment at all fronts, protecting employees' rights and benefits, fostering labour relations and enhancing occupational safety and health performance, which helped build a harmonious community.
Ends/Thursday, August 10, 2006
Issued at HKT 12:35
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