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Applications for the second phase of the joint recruitment for the Youth Pre-employment Training Programme (YPTP) and Youth Work Experience and Training Scheme (YWETS) for 2005/06 will start tomorrow (January 7).
The project director of the two schemes, Senior Labour Officer Miss Bertha Cheng Wai-yue, said that YPTP and YWETS provided pre-employment training and on-the-job training to young people and that the two projects complemented each other. The projects, which have developed into the largest job training schemes for youths in Hong Kong, are playing a major role in enhancing the employability of young people.
"The two programmes aim to enrich young people's job skills, work experience and credentials, thereby enhancing their employability and competitiveness."
The YPTP for 2005/06 comes in two phases and each phase lasts for six to nine months. Phase one started last September and phase two will commence in February this year.
New training courses will be introduced in phase two to provide youths with different types of job skills training and to meet market needs. Apart from training in mainstream trades, more courses on design and sports will come on stream. The new courses will include dessert house assistant training; pet services and cafe waiter training; wedding services courses; image, fashion and ornaments design; IT training; financial consultant and property sales training; rowing and swimming assistant coach training; yoga tutor (junior) course; lion dancing performance and teaching assistant training; massage assistant training and Chinese clinic shop assistant training.
"The YPTP has trained 66,000 young people in the last six years and more than 70% of the trainees have secured employment; while the YWETS has placed more than 40,000 participants into jobs," she said.
The YPTP is a pre-employment training programme for young people aged 15 to 19, providing modular training on leadership, discipline and team building; job search and interpersonal skills; computer application and job-specific skills. Training is also complemented by career counselling and support services by professional social workers throughout the programme to help trainees integrate into the job market and enhance their employment opportunities.
Upon completion of the modular training, trainees may undergo one month's workplace attachment provided by government departments, social service institutions, and public and private organisations. Experienced staff in the workplace will act as mentors to support trainees and there is no employment relationship between the organisations and trainees. An allowance of $2,000 will be paid to trainees on completion of the workplace attachment.
The YWETS aims to provide six to 12 months' on-the-job training for young people aged 15 to 24 with below-degree educational attainment with a view to facilitating a smooth school-to-work transition and improving their employability.
The scheme provides a 40-hour induction course for participants without prior interpersonal and job-searching skills training to help them acquire job search, interview, communication and interpersonal skills; and cultivate a positive work attitude, discipline and team spirit. Registered social workers will act as participants' case managers. They will provide personalised career counselling and support services, which cover areas including pre-employment assessment, formulation of career plan, job-matching and on-the-job support.
Participants will be engaged as trainees by employers and receive six to 12 months' on-the-job training. Employers will need to provide a training plan for the trainee and to appoint an experienced staff member as a mentor. Employers will receive a monthly subsidy of $2,000 per trainee during the training period. In addition, trainees can enroll in suitable vocational training courses. They can claim reimbursement for the courses and fees up to $4,000 if they have an attendance rate of 90% or attained the qualification.
"The Labour Department will stream applicants into the YPTP or YWETS according to their age and previous training received under the YPTP," Miss Cheng said.
The YPTP and YWETS will jointly set up a booth at the job fairs at the North District Town Hall (G/F, North District Town Hall, 2 Lung Wan Street, Sheung Shui) tomorrow and on February 21. The youth programmes will receive applications on the spot. The job fairs are jointly organised by the Working Group on Labour Development in North District of the North District Council and seven non-government organisations.
In addition, a bus parade will be staged in the territory to promote the two programmes and accept on-the-spot applications in February.
Application forms can be obtained from the department's Careers Information Centres and Job Centres; Public Enquiry Service Centres of the Home Affairs Department; District Offices of the Social Welfare Department; designated training bodies or downloaded from the website: http://www.yes.labour.gov.hk. For enquiries, please call 2835 2282.
Ends/Friday, January 6, 2006
Issued at HKT 17:12
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