Applications for the Labour Department's two youth training programmes - the Youth Pre-employment Training Programme and the Youth Work Experience & Training Scheme - will open on Saturday until August 26.

Through pre-employment training and on-the-job training, the programmes aim to develop young people's job skills, work experience and credentials, thereby enhancing their employability and competitiveness.

The Youth Pre-employment Training Programme will provide training for 12,000 young people.

It is a pre-employment training programme for young people aged between 15 and 19, with training in leadership, discipline and team building; job search and interpersonal skills; computer applications and job-specific skills.

This training is complemented with career counselling and support services throughout the programme and after job placement. Such services will facilitate trainees' integration into the job market and enhance their employment opportunities.

Workplace attachment follows training

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 $1,000 will be payable to trainees on completion of the workplace attachment.

First phase begins in September

The programme this year will be launched in two phases and the training period will last for six to eight months. Phase one will commence in September this year and phase two in February next year.

Training courses on beauty therapy, information technology and catering services will be enhanced this year to meet market demands and young people's interest.

These include media make-up; healthy diet production and delivery service; mobile entertainment and ring-tone creation; game and ring-tone design for mobile phones and merchandiser training.

On-the-job training smoothes school-to-work transition

The Youth Work Experience & Training Scheme aims to provide six to 12 months' on-the-job training for young people who are aged between 15 and 24 of 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-search 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.

Employers get subsidy to hire, train participants

Participants will be engaged as trainees by employers and receive six to 12 months' on-the-job training under the guidance of mentors assigned by employers. Employers will receive a monthly subsidy of $2,000 per trainee during the training period.

In addition, trainees can enrol 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 scheme offers a variety of job-training projects to cater for participants' needs and interest.

Training projects cater for participants' needs, interests

Examples are "IT Seeds", "School Activities and Administrative Assistants", "Airport Ambassadors", "Travel Pioneers", "Sports Instructor Trainees" and "Youth Work Experience and Skills Enhancement Programme for the Manufacturing Industry".

The Labour Department will stream applicants into the programmes according to their age and previous training received under the Youth Pre-employment Training Programme.

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.

For enquiries, please call 2835 2282.