Labour Department's Construction Industry Recruitment Centre opens (with photos)
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     The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, today (January 11) officiated at the opening ceremony of the Construction Industry Recruitment Centre (CIRC) in Kowloon Bay, which is the third industry-based recruitment centre established by the Labour Department, following the Recruitment Centre for the Catering Industry and the Recruitment Centre for the Retail Industry.

     Also officiating at the opening ceremony were the Permanent Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Miss Annie Tam; the Permanent Secretary for Development (Works), Mr Hon Chi-keung; the Chairman of the Construction Industry Council (CIC), Mr Lee Shing-see; and the Commissioner for Labour, Mr Donald Tong.

     Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr Cheung said that in the light of the massive construction programmes on infrastructure, public facilities and housing projects, the construction industry has been in dire need of manpower. The establishment of the CIRC by the Labour Department aims at assisting local construction workers to find jobs and employers of the industry to recruit workers, hence providing more comprehensive support for the development of the industry.

     He said he hoped that the CIRC could bring about a cultural change by broadening the recruitment channels for the construction industry, as well as enhance employment services for targeted groups such as ethnic minority job seekers.

     Mr Cheung said, "The CIRC provides a venue for employers, contractors and sub-contractors to organise job fairs and conduct on-the-spot interviews with job seekers. This would greatly enhance the efficiency of job search and recruitment. Job seekers may also make use of the CIRC's computerised job search facilities to find construction jobs more conveniently."

     He said, "For some traditional construction jobs, job search or recruitment relies on personal connections. This might limit the choices of job seekers and employers, and might stifle newcomers from entering the industry." He appealed to the contractors and sub-contractors to actively place job vacancies and organise job fairs in the CIRC and urged trade unions to encourage workers to find jobs through the CIRC. He hoped that this could gradually build up a virtuous cycle and diversify the job search culture of the construction industry in the long run. The Labour Department would also proactively publicise the services of the CIRC to different target groups including ethnic minority job seekers.

     Mr Cheung gave special thanks to the CIC for its proactive support in the planning and construction of the CIRC, resulting in its smooth inauguration. "The CIRC is co-located with the CIC Kowloon Bay Training Centre, giving both sides greater room for collaboration in employment and training matters," he said.

     The CIRC is located at 1/F, CIC Kowloon Bay Training Centre, 44 Tai Yip Street, Kowloon Bay. It is open from Monday to Friday between 9am and 5.30pm and on Saturday between 9am and noon. Employers and job seekers of the construction industry are welcome to call the CIRC's hotline at 3428 3303 or browse the Labour Department's Interactive Employment Service website (www.jobs.gov.hk) for details of recruitment activities and employment services.

Ends/Monday, January 11, 2016
Issued at HKT 17:07

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