Applications for the second phase of the joint recruitment for the Youth Pre-employment Training Programme and Youth Work Experience & Training Scheme for 2004-05 will run from January 8 to 24.

Permanent Secretary for Economic Development & Labour Matthew Cheung urged young people to partake in the projects to enhance their employability. Mr Cheung said the two projects complemented each other to become the largest youth training schemes in Hong Kong. Some 2,500 employers, 80 training bodies and 1,200 case managers have participated in the projects.

The pre-employment training programme has trained 57,000 people and more than 70% have secured employment, while the Work Experience & Training Scheme has placed more than 29,000 participants into jobs. Mr Cheung said with the sustained pick-up in the local economy, the employment rate of graduates and school-leavers last year was apparently higher than the previous two years.

As at November, 49,000 graduates aged 15 to 25 had joined the labour force and 71%, about 35,000, had secured employment. The employment rate was higher compared with the figures of 68% and 62% in 2003 and 2002, with the number of people amounting to about 28,500 in both years.

Although the jobless rate of those aged 15 to 19 is still relatively high, it has dropped from its historic high of 37.6% in June to August 2003 to the latest 25.6%. The number of unemployed is about 17,000.

To download the applicaltion forms, click here. For enquiries, call 2835 2282.