****************************************************
Following is the transcript (English portion) of the remarks made by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, at a media stand-up today (June 25) on the Internship Programme for University Graduates:
Reporter: What is your response to concerns of cheap labour and how is this scheme actually going to offset the unemployment figures?
Secretary for Labour and Welfare: The scheme, I must say, has got off to a very good start in terms of recruitment of vacancies concerned. We started recruiting, looking for vacancies, trawling vacancies on June 10. In the first seven days, we managed to obtain actually 1,600 local vacancies and 350 vacancies on the Mainland. These vacancies cover a wide spectrum of positions and the average pay for local offers stands at $9,000. In fact, 80% of the vacancies pay $8,000 a month, so very encouraging indeed. We expect more vacancies to come in the next two weeks and the scheme will kick off on August 1.
Reporter: Are your concerned about the Mainland jobs... is it not too attractive to local students?
Secretary for Labour and Welfare: Certainly, if you look at the allowance we pay, we are talking about $3,000 per month and also $1,500 housing allowance plus free medical insurance and also subsidised airfares. This is a very attractive position for everybody, particularly this is a much needed opportunity. This is a rare opportunity to equip oneself, particularly for future career development in the Pearl River Delta area, in the Greater China region and what¡¦s more to understand the life and cultures in China. It is very important. I would appeal to our university graduates to make the best of the opportunity and apply.
¡K¡K employment in a very big way. We are talking about 4,000 places and we are talking about 20,000 graduates this year. So come to think of it, 20,000 versus 4,000. What¡¦s more is the quality that counts and also experience that really counts, particularly Mainland training opportunity will be extremely valuable to equip our graduates for future career development in the Greater China region.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Thursday, June 25, 2009
Issued at HKT 19:02
NNNN
