060810en02002

	news.gov.hk
	From Hong Kong's Information Services Department

August 10, 2006

Education

CE urges youths to better equip themselves

Young people should treasure every opportunity to equip themselves and face the challenges ahead with determination to map out a bright career path, Chief Executive Donald Tsang says.

He urged Secondary Five graduates to take into account their interests and abilities in deciding whether to pursue further studies or join the job market.

Mr Tsang visited the Labour Department Hong Kong East Job Centre and the Youth Pre-employment Training Programme Office this morning to see the development of employment services.

Young at heart: Chief Executive Donald Tsang chats with Youth Pre-employment Training Programme trainees (left) and Youth Work Experience & Training Scheme trainees(centre), and sends an e-card (right) to 100 young people who had just enrolled in these two schemes.

Job vacancies soar

The city's total employment maintained an upward trend with the creation of about 230,000 new jobs in the past three years. For the first half of this year, the department received 243,021 vacancies from the private sector and achieved 58,993 placements for job-seekers, up 25% and 16% over a year earlier.

"Although our economy has revived, globalisation has brought about competition. We will continue to strive to enable the economy to forge ahead at full steam. We will keep on investing in infrastructure, providing a business-friendly environment and creating more job opportunities," Mr Tsang said.

New centres to offer services in northern NT

On employment in remote districts, Mr Tsang believed the new job centres in Yuen Long and the North District to be open next month will offer more job information and referral services for people in the area. This will help ease the jobless situation in these districts, he added.

At the Youth Pre-employment Training Programme Office, the Chief Executive learned more than 110,000 young people have so far received training under the programme and the Youth Work Experience & Training Scheme.

He also met the schemes' trainees who outlined the difficulties they encountered after they finished schooling and turned to the job market. They also shared their experience in participating in the schemes and their career plans.

Valuable resources in youth

"Young people are valuable resources in our community. They constitute a new force in our labour market. However, their lack of work experience often affects their employment opportunities.

"The Youth Pre-employment Training Programme and Youth Work Experience & Training Scheme can provide training for them to meet market needs and help enhance their employability as well as the opportunity to move up the career ladder," Mr Tsang said.