The coverage of the Continuing Education Fund has been extended to include additional sectors and skill domains, including creative industries, business services and additional languages.

The Government has decided to introduce 'Creative Industries' under the fund to cover courses in advertising, digital entertainment, films, television and video.

The existing 'China Business' sector has also been expanded and renamed 'Business Services' to include business management training under the fund.

Courses in French, German and Japanese are also included in the skill domain 'Language'.

The Government reached the decision after considering suggestions from the public, course providers and legislators, and seeking advice from prominent academics and business figures.

It adhered to the principle that the fund should be used to subsidise training which would be conducive to Hong Kong's economic development, so only courses from economic sectors with high growth potential and manpower requirements or skill domains where the local workforce may be deficient are covered.

Course providers to get details

Results of 'Manpower Projection 2007' and two other related surveys - 'Household Survey on Employment Concerns &  Training Needs' and 'Establishment Survey on Manpower Training & Job Skill Requirements' - helped determine which sectors the fund should cover.

Course providers will be provided with the information on these additional sectors/domains for their course design and vetting purposes this month. It is expected that courses under the new sectors/domains will be available for application by the second quarter of 2004.