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Speech by SLW at encouragement session of Employment Services Ambassador Programme for Ethnic Minorities (English only)
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     Following is the speech by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, at the encouragement session of the Employment Services Ambassador Programme for Ethnic Minorities organised by the Labour Department today (August 20):

Johnny (Chief Executive Officer of Baptist Oi Kwan Social Service, Mr Johnny Tsang), Tonia (Assistant Commissioner for Labour (Employment Services), Mrs Tonia Leung), all trainees and trainers,

     Good morning. I am really pleased to attend the encouragement session of the Employment Services Ambassador Programme for Ethnic Minorities. May I first congratulate all of the trainees for having completed the pre-employment training provided by the Youth Employment and Training Programme (YETP) under this pilot project.

     Members of ethnic minorities constitute an important source of manpower in Hong Kong and it is the Hong Kong Government's policy to facilitate the ethnic minorities' integration into society. To this end, the Labour Department strives to help ethnic minority job seekers find work through a wide range of employment services provided at Job Centres, the Telephone Employment Service and the Interactive Employment Service website. Apart from general employment services provided to all job seekers, the Labour Department offers dedicated and enhanced services for ethnic minority job seekers, including the provision of resources corners, employment briefings and special counters for making job referrals. Ethnic minority job seekers can also meet the Employment Consultants for personalised employment advisory services and attend thematic job fairs to meet the employers.

     Now we are taking one step forward by launching this new initiative - the Employment Services Ambassador Programme for Ethnic Minorities. I would like to codename this programme as "EMPOWER", which means that EMs (i.e. ethnic minorities) are Hong Kong's valuable manpower. Moreover, this programme can empower ethnic minority young people so that they can successfully transit to employment.

     I see great value in this project. First, it offers on-the-job training opportunities for the trainees to work in the Labour Department's Job Centres and recruitment functions. I am sure the work experience would help the trainees land other meaningful jobs and map out career plans thereafter. Second, through the Employment Service Ambassadors' valuable assistance, we should also be able to reach out to the ethnic minority communities and serve the ethnic minority job seekers better.

     Apart from our commitment and your participation, the success of this programme also hinges on the quality training and support extended to our Employment Services Ambassadors. In this respect, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to the Baptist Oi Kwan Social Service, which is a long-term partner of YETP. I know that they have provided the trainees with useful pre-employment training, and will provide them with customised employment support during their six-month on-the-job training period. All these can greatly help the trainees prepare for the job, settle in, and deal with problems encountered at the workplace.

     Lastly, I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome all of you who will shortly become our Employment Services Ambassadors. If there is anything you need or want to know, please just discuss with your mentors who have been assigned to help you. I wish that all of you will be much empowered after participating in this project. Thank you.

Ends/Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Issued at HKT 11:55

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