The Skills Enhancement Project designed for sectors hardest hit by SARS will accept applications from May 19.

The $150-million project will provide 10,000 training places and be conducted in two phases, each offering 5,000 places.

The scheme caters for unemployed workers in the catering, retail, hotel and tourism sectors or workers in these sectors who are temporarily suspended from employment without pay.

It is one of the Government's relief measures in response to the outbreak of SARS. It aims to enable employees in the affected sectors to make the best use of their time to enhance themselves by providing skills improvement and upgrading courses, thereby further equipping them to re-enter their industry when the economy revives.

Among the 10,000 places, 3,000 will be for retail, 2,350 for catering, 1,250 for hotel and 3,400 for tourism sectors.

The project, which is co-ordinated by the Employees Retraining Board, comprises trade-specific skills enhancement training and complementary generic training which is applicable to all industries, each lasting for four weeks.

The Skills Upgrading Scheme Secretariat will be the training agent for the trade-specific skills enhancement.

There are integrated courses on customer services for Chinese catering (attendant) and on kitchen services for Chinese catering (chef), integrated courses for retail, hotel and tourism industries, and an integrated tour guide training course.

Complementary generic training will be offered by the board, comprising modular training on soft skills (such as job search, presentation and communication, team building and first aid), English training (basic and higher level), Putonghua and basic computer training.

All training courses are free and trainees will receive special allowances during the whole period. An allowance of up to $4,000 can be payable per month.

Application forms will be available for collection from the board's offices, Labour Department job centres, District Offices and about 100 participating training centres.

They can also be downloaded from the board's website ( http://sep.erb.org ) and the Labour Department's website ( www.info.gov.hk/labour ). Enquiries can be made to the special telephone hotline at 183 3113.