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The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, encouraged young people planning to join the labour market to equip themselves through the one-stop pre-employment and on-the-job training offered under the Youth Employment and Training Programme (YETP) of the Labour Department.
Speaking at the Award Ceremony of Most Improved Trainees of YETP 2013 today (August 27), Mr Cheung said that the Government is committed to providing more opportunities for young people's development. Since the implementation of the YETP more than 10 years ago, over 190 000 youngsters have benefited from the diversified training and employment support services under the programme.
"In recent years, the Labour Department has been actively organising special employment projects to provide through-train training and employment opportunities for young people under the programme. These include the Squad '3S' jointly organised with the Employees Retraining Board offering on-the-job training vacancies in the high-end security industry. Other major projects including the YETP Campus Series providing primary and secondary schools with information system and multi-media system technical support, as well as the Aircraft Maintenance Craftsman Trainee, Barista, and Theme Park Rides Attendant and Food & Beverage Services Trainee programmes, are also well received," Mr Cheung said.
To encourage employers to provide more employment opportunities for young people, the subsidy for employers who hire programme trainees in posts with a monthly salary of $6,000 or above and on-the-job training of six to 12 months has been increased from a maximum of $2,000 to a maximum of $3,000 per month.
"In the new Programme Year, we will continue to provide customised services under the YETP to meet the diversified training and employment needs of young people," he added.
Mr Cheung encouraged young people to pursue their dreams with action and determination, and to look towards different types of industries with their best endeavours in order to achieve a successful career. He also appealed to employers to continue with their support for the YETP and to work with the Government in promoting youth development.
The Award Ceremony of Most Improved Trainees of YETP cum Concert, held during the "Solar Project 2013 - Dream Journey with YETP" programme, was co-organised by Radio 2 of Radio Television Hong Kong and the Labour Department. The awards were presented to 10 outstanding trainees who achieved significant improvements in personal development, leadership, social service or work performance during the training period. The aim is to encourage more youngsters to make use of the YETP to equip themselves.
The YETP is open to young school leavers aged 15 to 24 with education attainment at sub-degree level or below and is free of charge. Enrolment is on a year-round basis. For details, please visit the website of the Youth Employment Services of the Labour Department at www.yes.labour.gov.hk. The Labour Department has also set up a Youth Employment Services hotline, 2112 9932, to provide a one-stop enquiry service on the programme and receive training vacancies from employers.
Ends/Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Issued at HKT 22:34
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