Hong
Kong Workshop Report
Workshop on Youth Employment in Hong Kong
"Developing Decent and Sustainable Youth
Employment"
30 November 2001
Summary Report
Background
The International Labour Organization (ILO)
Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific will hold a Regional
Meeting on Youth Employment in Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok,
Thailand, in February 2002. The objectives of the meeting are to
identify national and regional strategies in promoting decent work
for young people and disseminate information on international best
practices. The Labour Department of the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region Government (HKSARG) has been invited to attend
the meeting, and to organize a youth employment workshop to explore
directions and strategies for youth employment in Hong Kong.
Co-organizers
2. The Workshop on Youth Employment was organized
by the Labour Department of the HKSARG upon the invitation of the
ILO. With the concurrence of the ILO, the Labour Department invited
the Commission on Youth and the Labour Advisory Board to co-organize
the workshop. A Planning Committee was set up to supervise the
overall planning and organization of the workshop. Members of the
committee include representatives from the Labour Department,
employer and employee members of the Labour Advisory Board, and
representatives from the Commission on Youth.
Objectives and Theme
3. The objectives of the Workshop are as follows:
- to establish youth employment as one of the important concerns
of the HKSARG;
- to induce different sectors in society to recognize the
importance of youth employment; and
- to collect ideas from different sectors as to the future
directions of youth employment in Hong Kong.
The theme of the Workshop was "Developing
Decent and Sustainable Youth Employment".
Date and Programme
4. The Workshop was held on 30 November 2001. The
programme of the Workshop is at Annex 1.
Participants
5. Three hundred representatives from different
sectors, including the Government, the business sector, trade
unions, the academic sector, social service organizations, training
institutions, young people and parents, participated in the
Workshop.
Mode of Discussions
6. The one-day Workshop was divided into the
morning and afternoon sessions. The morning session consisted of a
presentation of the ILO Country Study and plenary discussions on the
priorities on youth employment advocated by the ILO. There were two
topics at the plenary discussions, viz. "Strategies for
Enhancing Employability of Young People through Combined
Efforts" and "Youth Entrepreneurship". Experts and
distinguished representatives from relevant areas were invited to
share their experience and views with participants. The morning
session ended with the concluding remarks on the plenary discussions
by Mr William Siu, Deputy Commissioner for Labour and Chairman of
the Planning Committee of the Workshop.
7. In the afternoon, participants took part in
group discussions to explore ways to strengthen the employability of
young people. They explored the feasibility of three proposed
projects, viz. "Enhancing Youth Employability in Tourism and
Related Industries", "Developing Positive Attitude towards
Life and Work through Parental Influence", and "Youth
Entrepreneurship". In parallel, there were three concurrent
discussion sessions on "An Integrated Approach in Enhancing
Youth Employability", "Creating Employment Opportunities
for Young People", and "Promoting Equal Employment
Opportunities for Disadvantaged Groups". Mr William Siu
delivered concluding remarks for the discussions on pilot projects,
while Dr Choi Yuen-wan, Chairman of the Commission on Youth,
delivered concluding remarks for the concurrent discussion sessions.
Opening Ceremony
8. Mrs Pamela Tan,
Commissioner for Labour, welcomed the delegates at the opening
ceremony. She said that the Workshop's theme of "Developing
Decent and Sustainable Youth Employment" echoed the global
policy of the ILO in "Developing Decent Work for the
Youth". It was also in line with the concept of lifelong
learning promoted in the Hong Kong SAR. She added that the ILO was
highly appreciative of the HKSARG’s efforts in enhancing youth
employability, in particular the Youth Pre-employment Training
Programme (YPTP). Apart from inviting the Government to organize the
Workshop, the ILO had also invited Hong Kong to share its strategies
and experience in promoting youth employment with other
representatives at the Regional Meeting on Youth Employment in Asia
and the Pacific in February 2002. She emphasized that successful
implementation of labour policies in Hong Kong hinged upon sustained
cooperation among various social partners. The Workshop converged
representatives from different sectors. The report of the Workshop,
including the main points of discussion and the recommended pilot
project on youth employment, would be presented at ILO’s Regional
Meeting on Youth Employment in Asia and the Pacific for the
reference of other countries.
9. The Commissioner
for Labour's welcoming remarks was followed by the opening address
by Mr Djankou Ndjonkou, Area Director of ILO (Beijing). He started
with a vote of thanks to the co-organizers of the Workshop, praising
them for providing an example in effective collaboration among
diverse partners. He highlighted the importance of visionary
partnership in addressing youth employment, especially when present
societies had become increasingly complex. Governments, employers
and workers all had a role to play but the single most important
part was the active participation of youth themselves. He drew the
audience's attention to the high-level Youth Employment Network set
up by the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan. The Network
had recommended four priorities for national action on youth
employment to the United Nations General Assembly: increasing Employability;
enhancing Equality of employment among young women and men;
building Entrepreneurship; and creating Employment. Mr
Ndjonkou also quoted the Secretary-General’s speech at the ILO
Global Employment Forum which emphasized that "in any
development strategy aimed at spreading the benefits of
globalization, employment must be a central goal". As stated in
the Millennium Declaration of the United Nations, all member States
had to develop and implement strategies that gave young people
everywhere a real chance to find decent and productive work. Being
unemployed early in life could bring about despair, poverty and
social instability, thereby leading to a destructive circle of
society. Mr Ndjonkou hoped that the discussions on pilot project
proposals at the Workshop would lead to innovative initiatives to
promote youth employment.
10. The Workshop was officially opened by the
Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Donald Tsang. In his speech
to the delegates, Mr Tsang remarked that Hong Kong was experiencing
unprecedented challenges in the midst of economic transformation and
global economic downturn. To maintain its competitiveness in the
knowledge-based society, Hong Kong needed a high quality workforce.
The average youth lacked sufficient social experience and job
skills. They would encounter even more difficulties and frustration
in their job search in times of economic lows. Mr Tsang emphasized
that the HKSARG would strive to improve the quality of education and
provide young people with market-driven training programmes to equip
them to meet challenges. He highlighted that a number of programmes
were put in place by the Government to enhance youth employment. For
example, the YPTP would provide integrated pre-employment training
to over 10,000 young people each year. More than 1,000 vacancies for
Programme Assistants in the social services sector would soon be
created and priority would be given to YPTP trainees. In addition,
the Government launched the Project Springboard and Associate Degree
Programme to help bring youngsters back to school. He pointed out
that the theme of the Workshop echoed the policy objective of the
Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR in Investing in Human
Resources. The conclusions of the Workshop would be of great
reference value in the future evaluation and improvement of the
existing mechanism on youth employment. Its recommendations would
also be useful to the HKSARG in such important issues as education
reform, training and retraining, and employment promotion.
Presentation of ILO Country Study:
"Youth Situation, Youth Policy and Youth Unemployment in
Hong Kong"
11. Dr Howard Cheng, Consultant commissioned by
the ILO, presented his study on youth unemployment in Hong Kong. He
pointed out that the position of young people, in particular those
between 15 and 19 years of age, in the labour market had been
deteriorating since the downturn of the economy. Neither the youth
themselves nor their teachers and parents had adequately prepared
the youngsters to enter the employment market. Lacking academic
qualifications, working experience, career goals, and job search
skills, these young people could easily become a disadvantaged group
in the labour market.
12. Dr Cheng affirmed the role and functions of
the YPTP. He remarked that the programme had not only provided
traditional youth counselling service, but had also brought in new
elements of employment training and workplace attachment. It helped
young school leavers to better understand themselves, improve their
interpersonal skills, teamwork and job search skills, and provided
opportunities for them to experience the world of work. He
recommended that the YPTP be continued to allow more young
job-seekers to benefit from this basic practical training in their
transition from school to work.
13. He also remarked that the YPTP provided
important information for better understanding of the profile, life
styles, needs, feelings, etc. of young school leavers. He opined
that the YPTP could be developed into a mechanism coordinating the
various services such as curriculum reform, employment counselling
service, personalized youth counselling service, and extended
workplace attachment programme under the YPTP for school leavers
between 15 and 19 years of age. This mechanism would require the
involvement of the Labour Department, Social Welfare Department,
Education Department, Vocational Training Council, Construction
Industry Training Authority, Employees Retraining Board,
non-governmental organizations as well as the industrial, commercial
and services sectors.
14. Furthermore, Dr Cheng suggested that we
should draw upon the ideas and policies of the Chief Executive of
the Hong Kong SAR, Health and Welfare Bureau, Education and Manpower
Bureau, and non-governmental organizations, as well as the
experience and research findings of the YPTP to formulate a
"Youth Policy" for Hong Kong at the macro level.
15. An extract of Dr Cheng’s study report is at
Annex 2.
Plenary Discussion 1:
Strategies for Enhancing Employability of Young
People through Combined Efforts
16. Dr CHOI Yuen-wan, Chairman of the plenary
discussion, stated that the unemployment rate for young persons at
15 to 19 years old was high (approximately 25%). It was not only an
immediate problem for Hong Kong, but it could also affect the future
quality of our entire society. He hoped that through the discussion
by different sectors of the community at that forum, strategies to
enhance the employability of young people could be explored. These
strategies would include ways to: (i) provide support to youngsters
lacking motivation; (ii) establish effective assessment, guidance
and referral mechanisms; (iii) strengthen the ability to obtain and
disseminate employment market information, and provide
market-responsive vocational training; (iv) enhance the
employability of young people through formal education and
vocational training; and (v) strengthen the capacity of the business
sector in providing on-the-job training and short-term attachments.
- Ways to reach and encourage unmotivated young people
17. Mrs Carrie Lam, Director of Social Welfare,
revealed that, under the social welfare framework, there was a
strong network allowing social workers to reach out to youngsters to
assist and equip them with the necessary skills to face the
challenges of employment. Through a network of integrated teams,
children and youth centres, outreach social work teams and the
school social work service, social workers could reach out to young
people at all levels in youth centres, schools, districts and
streets to provide employment guidance and information. In
2001/2002, the Government allocated an additional $22 million to
expand the manpower of 18 integrated service teams to strengthen the
outreaching services to young night drifters and assist them in
handling education, career and family problems. At the same time, an
additional annual provision of $4 million would be available for the
setting up of three more Community Support Services Schemes to help
young people cautioned under the Police Superintendent’s
Discretion Scheme to integrate into the community. Furthermore, in
order to give young people more practical employment assistance, the
Social Welfare Department created 1,300 Programme Assistant posts in
social welfare service units at the beginning of 2001. One of its
major objectives was to provide the first employment opportunity for
youngsters with low academic qualifications and no work experience,
thereby allowing them to come into contact with the community and
define their goals. Mrs Lam remarked that the absence of adequate
qualifications and work experience often put young people at a
disadvantage in job applications. She considered that, as an
employer, the Government should provide more employment
opportunities to young people without work experience.
18. Ms YUK Tak-fun, Chairman of the Strategic
Committee on Tackling Unemployment of the Hong Kong Council of
Social Service, said that in order to reach out and mobilize young
people who lacked motivation, we had to pull them together and not
to push them to accept certain courses of action. To help young
people face employment difficulties, adults must get rid of their
prejudices and change their mind-sets, coach according to personal
differences and intervene early. Through their personal experience,
parents should bestow a right perspective on careers on their
children from an early age.
19. Youth representative Mr LEE Yiu-sing, in
sharing his experience in job search, said that the support of his
parents, friends and social workers was indispensable to his success
in securing a suitable job. He pointed out that youngsters were
easily influenced by their peers and that to pave the way for young
people lacking motivation to enter the world of work, the active
support and encouragement of friends were particularly important.
20. Mr TIEN Puk-sun, Chairman of the G2000 Group,
suggested that the Government could consider gathering youngsters
who lack motivation and providing disciplinary training of a longer
duration to foster positive attitudes.
(ii) Ways to establish effective school-based
and non-school-based assessment, guidance and referral
mechanisms
21. Ms YUK Tak-fun considered that schools should
refrain from emphasizing on education guidance alone. In view of the
different potentials and abilities of students, more importance
should be attached to careers guidance. Schools could also cooperate
with the business sector to give students more short-term job
attachment opportunities so that they could prepare early for
employment.
22. Mr Matthew Cheung, Director of Education,
agreed that assisting youngsters in the transition from school to
work was a very important issue. The Education Department was
addressing this issue at various levels, including: enabling
students to understand their interests and abilities as early as
possible through curriculum reform and provision of work-related
experience; upgrading guidance teachers to keep them posted of
market trends; and strengthening parental education.
23. Mrs Pamela Tan, Commissioner for Labour,
indicated that there should be a mechanism both within and outside
schools to help young people move from school to the community. For
young people in schools, the Labour Department had prepared for them
a "Resource Kit", which included a Career Interest
Assessment Questionnaire designed by experts and other guidance
materials for assessing the occupation orientations of individual
students and imparting them with relevant career knowledge.
Furthermore, the Labour Department was liaising with the Education
Department on ways to integrate the success elements of the YPTP
into the school curriculum. Outside schools, the Labour Department
operated careers information centres to provide youngsters with
personalized careers advisory service. The Department also organized
a wide variety of careers exhibitions and visits to industrial,
commercial and service organizations for young people. Looking
ahead, Mrs Tan expressed her wish to strengthen the work related to
career interest assessment by collecting the views of young people.
24. Mrs Carrie Lam said that for youngsters
deprived of schooling, employment, love and self-esteem, the
transition from school to work was not easy. They needed a
comprehensive service incorporating guidance, training, employment
and follow-up. Having considered all these factors, the Social
Welfare Department was expanding the scope of social welfare
activities to employment aspects. Presently it was subsidizing a
number of job creation projects for young people.
(iii) Ways to strengthen the ability to
obtain and disseminate employment market information, and
provide market-responsive vocational training
25. Mrs Pamela Tan advocated that employment
training should gear to market demands for most effective use of
resources and trainees’ time. The Labour Department all along
maintained very close contact with employers to keep track of market
trends. To provide young people with a better understanding of the
employment market, the Labour Department regularly organized careers
seminars conducted by practitioners. Up-to-date labour market
information was also available at the careers information centres.
The Labour Department would continue to strengthen the role of
parents in careers guidance of their children. Towards this end, the
Department was organizing a workshop to encourage parents to help
their children develop positive attitudes towards life and work as
part of the YPTP.
(iv) Ways to enhance the employability of
young people through formal education and vocational training
26. Mr TIEN Puk-sun indicated that young people
should choose a job best suited to their interests. As long as they
were interested in their work, they would be able to build up their
competence and confidence. Many examples of successful
entrepreneurship started from an interest in a particular field. Mr
Tien suggested that schools should encourage students to participate
in more extra-curricular activities so that they could cultivate
their interests, build up self-confidence, enhance communication
skills and develop business talents.
27. Mr Matthew Cheung observed that society today
called for "mental strength" and "learning
ability" and not "manual strength" or "academic
attainments". The purpose of education reforms was to develop
students’ generic skills. Other than skills on language and
information technology, the reforms would place stronger emphasis on
training of soft skills such as thinking, analysis, communication,
cooperation with others, problem solving, countering adversity, etc.
The Administration would advocate flexibility in education,
relieving students from the classrooms and giving them more space. A
balanced curriculum comprising formal, non-formal and informal
courses would facilitate students’ whole-person development, bring
about a plurality of intelligence, and
nurture a new generation which would enjoy learning, and would be
creative, innovative and courageous in accepting responsibilities.
They would also be good communicators. He revealed that the
Government was planning to build eight new senior secondary schools
to provide subsidized Secondary Four and training places to all
Secondary Three students in publicly-funded schools who had the
ability and desire to continue their studies. He believed that such
schools could provide students in need with more practical courses
to prepare them for future employment. He hoped that the entire
education system would work in an integrated way to meet the needs
of young people in their transition to work and encourage them to
continue their self-development.
28. Ms YUK Tak-fun said that diversified
education was extremely important in developing sustainable
employment. However, many youngsters between 15 to 19 years old were
deprived of such education and they also encountered difficulties in
their search for vocational training opportunities. She suggested
reviewing the existing vocational training courses and providing
training for young people with inadequate academic qualifications.
She believed that vocational training should extend from training of
skills to fostering a person’s abilities, energy and confidence
for further personal development. While she agreed that vocational
training should be market-responsive, she did not think that
training should be too centralized and confined to any particular
industry. She considered that vocational training should be more
flexible and diversified. In addition, she pointed out that many
young people between the age of 15 to 19 years were unable to pursue
further studies due to long working hours.
29. Mr LEE Yiu-sing suggested that a
life-planning course be established within formal education to
arouse the awareness of young people towards their own potentials
and aspirations, and encourage them to set their path for
development as early as possible.
(v) Ways to strengthen the capacity of the
business sector in providing on-the-job training and short-term
attachments
30. Mr Matthew Cheung appealed to the private
sector to cooperate with schools and provide students with more
short-term attachments for them to experience the real working
environment at an early stage. Mr TIEN Puk-sun suggested that for
students who were motivated but unable to find a job, the Government
could extend the duration of the On-the-Job Training Scheme of the
YPTP, with the salaries to be paid jointly by the Government and
employers. This would give young people more opportunities to
display their talents and move their first steps towards employment.
Mr LEE Yiu-sing hoped that employers could encourage and allow
employees to attend work-related training courses during or after
office hours to acquire practical work skills.
Other suggestions
31. One participant from the floor agreed that
many parents and youngsters had out-dated expectations on careers.
However, to change society’s expectations and values, the
influence of the media should not be overlooked. Another participant
supported the views of the guest speakers and urged to have their
suggestions implemented.
32. Finally, Dr CHOI Yuen-wan reiterated that the
problem of youth employment was a very important issue which should
be addressed structurally from a long-term perspective.
Plenary Discussion 2:
Youth Entrepreneurship
33. Chairman of the
plenary discussion, Dr Kim Mak, Director of Corporate Development of
the Hong Kong Jockey Club, remarked that there had been many success
cases of entrepreneurs in Hong Kong. He asked whether
entrepreneurship would still work under the current economic climate
and whether young people could consider starting their own business
as an alternative to looking for a job. He suggested an exploration
of the following issues in relation to youngsters with the guest
speakers: (i) opportunities for entrepreneurship; (ii) the
orientation and attitude of youth entrepreneurs; and (iii)
preparation for business start-ups.
(i) Opportunities for entrepreneurship
34. Mr Bunny Chan, Director of Prospectful
Holdings Ltd., joined the garment industry in his early years and
successfully built up his business in the industry. He said that
opportunities were not at all lacking. They could be found in
various industries in Hong Kong, be they in high-tech industries or
industries that did not require sophisticated technology. The most
important thing was for young people to focus on and get acquainted
with an industry in which they were interested and saw a good
prospect. He shared his personal experience in the garment industry
with the delegates. Mr Chan said that as the industry was considered
waning by many, competition had become less acute than before. He
was able to take advantage of the circumstances and make a handsome
profit in recent years because of the years of experience he had
gained in the business.
35. Mr Raymond Wong, Chief Operating Officer of
LifeWood Interactive Ltd., successfully started his business in the
information technology industry with a strong academic background
and sound computer knowledge. Sharing his experience in starting a
business, he stressed that there were plenty of business
opportunities in Hong Kong and it was most important for young
people to have the determination to overcome difficulties and
setbacks.
36. Mr CHOW Tung-shan, Assistant Commissioner
(Employment Services) of the Labour Department, pointed out that,
though Hong Kong was experiencing an economic downturn, adversity
would often bring new opportunities. It was most important for
entrepreneurs to recognize their own interest and commit fully to
their work. They should also be able to capitalize on market
opportunities and satisfy customers with better and more efficient
service by adopting a user-oriented approach. Mr Chow added that
young entrepreneurs in Hong Kong should build up their careers by
heading towards high value-added directions.
37. Dr Kim Mak also remarked that statistics
showed that, although the catering industry was having difficulty
times, there was an increase in the number of cafes providing less
expensive products. It could thus be seen that there would be
different opportunities in the market under different circumstances.
38. Notwithstanding the availability of
opportunities, all the speakers concurred that young entrepreneurs
would likely encounter difficulties. For example, they might not
have sufficient knowledge of the market or the industry concerned;
they might not be able to accurately evaluate the business risks; or
they might have difficulties in raising the required capital. As
such, potential entrepreneurs had to fortify themselves with proper
orientation and attitude, and be well prepared for contingencies.
(ii) Orientation and attitude of youth
entrepreneurs
39. Mr Raymond Wong analyzed the personalities of
successful entrepreneurs. He said that since entrepreneurs would
likely encounter various kinds of problems and adversities,
successful entrepreneurs would have to be committed unyieldingly to
their careers and goals. Having set the target, they had to work
extremely hard and persevere despite difficulties.
40. Dr Leo Sin, Director of the MSc Programme in
Marketing of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, pointed out that
entrepreneurial spirit had always been the competitive edge of Hong
Kong. Research findings indicated that people in Hong Kong had
stronger entrepreneurial spirit than those in neighbouring areas.
From contacts with successful entrepreneurs of small and medium
enterprises, he had deduced three essential qualities for success,
namely Creativity Quotient, Emotion Quotient and Adversity Quotient.
In the area of creativity, Dr Sin indicated that an entrepreneur
should have his own vision and refrain from following the footsteps
of others for sustainable success. In respect of the Emotion
Quotient, an entrepreneur should be able to master personal emotions
and to maintain good relationship with clients and working partners,
and motivate his staff for best performance. Besides, as the Hong
Kong economy was still on its low side, difficulties in starting a
business would be inevitable. As regards the Adversity Quotient,
entrepreneurs must be able to conquer adversity and move towards
their goals with utmost determination.
41. Mr Bunny Chan stressed that irrespective of
operating a business or being employed, one had to focus on work and
try one’s best in handling every single task. He also stressed the
importance of self discipline. Young people should learn to manage
their time, plan their work properly and concentrate on their tasks
to ensure success.
(iii) Preparation for business start-ups
42. Mr Bunny Chan said that entrepreneurs should
be conversant with their own field. This would put them in an
advantageous position in grasping opportunities in the market. Mr
Raymond Wong cited the example of a villager who successfully
started his own construction and decoration business. Mr Wong
believed that the villager’s initiative in learning the trade of
his interest was the key to his success.
43. All the speakers agreed that it was rather
difficult for young people with little working experience to start a
business. It would be better for them to acquire the relevant
knowledge and working experience through employment or
self-employment in the field that they had interest in. Mr Bunny
Chan remarked that an entrepreneur should first work in the relevant
industry in order to have a thorough understanding of the trade. In
that process, he might discover defects in certain products. By
improving on these products when he built up his business, he would
gain a competitive edge. As regards self-employment, Mr CHOW
Tung-shan suggested that young people should start small. This would
reduce the cost of learning for young people. When they could
identify the success formula, they could then expand to become
business enterprises.
44. In raising the
required capital, both Mr Bunny Chan and Mr CHOW Tung-shan agreed
that, despite the existence of a government loan scheme for
entrepreneurs, it was not advisable to borrow money to start a
business. People would be more prudent with their own money and
would plan their business more carefully. They would also be more
perseverant in times of adversity. Besides, interest repayment could
be a burden on the business and should be properly reckoned with. Mr
Raymond Wong added that if the capital should come from a loan, it
would be important for entrepreneurs to work out the interest
incurred and the repayment schedule. Dr Kim Mak also observed that
some years back, the government of some European countries had tried
to help individuals to start their businesses in times of economic
restructuring but the results were not encouraging. He reminded
entrepreneurs that as the Government could hardly provide all the
necessary assistance, they would have to count on their own
innovation and abilities. Chances of success would be reduced if
they relied on others.
45. Dr Leo Sin pointed out that an entrepreneur
should never start his business with mere ideas. It would be
necessary to collect information on running a business, such as ways
of planning of cash flow and pay-back period. Entrepreneurs might
participate in experience-sharing sessions on starting or running
business to acquire knowledge and experience in this respect. They
would benefit a lot if the Government could provide the necessary
fundamental training .
Other Views
46. One participant from the floor agreed that
working experience was very important for entrepreneurs. He
suggested that they might consider taking up sales work first, as
they had to learn about product features and acquire selling
techniques. Moreover, since sales activities would exert immense
pressure on the salesperson, potential entrepreneurs who had
experienced such pressure could then consider seriously whether they
should proceed with starting their own business.
47. Another participant observed that the
character and education of the Chinese did not appear to be
conducive to entrepreneurship. Moreover, it was difficult for
entrepreneurs to sustain their business in Hong Kong despite their
initial success as there would be too many others who would jump on
the bandwagon. Another participant hoped that successful
entrepreneurs would become conscientious and good employers.
48. Dr Kim Mak
concluded that there were still ample business opportunities in Hong
Kong and he encouraged young people to make up their minds to learn
and work hard. He also remarked that people in Hong Kong should not
put all the responsibilities on the employers, as many enterprises
in Hong Kong started off as small businesses and eventually
succeeded as a result of hard work. Finally, he wished all the young
entrepreneurs and Hong Kong every success.
Discussion on Pilot Projects
Pilot Project (1): Enhancing youth employability
in tourism and related industries
49. Mr CHOW Tung-shan, Assistant Commissioner for
Labour (Employment Services), invited participants and guest
speakers from the tourism industry to express their views on the
future prospects of the tourism industry in Hong Kong. The guest
speakers and participants unanimously agreed that, with China’s
accession to the World Trade Organization, the opening of the Hong
Kong Disneyland in 2005 and Beijing’s hosting of the Olympic Games
in 2008, the prospects for the industry were promising. Meanwhile,
Hong Kong should step up the training of manpower in the tourism
industry to support its rapid development.
50. Mr NG Hi-on, Deputy General Manager, Package
Tour Department of the China Travel Service (HK) Ltd., was
optimistic about the tourism industry. He pointed out that after the
NYC tragedy of September 11, there was some mild growth in the
number of tourists from the Mainland. Ms Catherine Hau,
Vice-Chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Registered Tour Co-ordinators
(HARTCO), said that jobs in the tourism industry were highly
professional. To become experts in the field, practitioners needed
to understand Hong Kong thoroughly and must be eager to learn, be
proactive, and customer-oriented.
51. Ms LUK Chui-yan, a Board Member of the HARTCO,
advised that young people should equip themselves to meet the
challenges brought about by the development of the tourism industry.
They should learn more about the China market and strengthen their
command of English and Putonghua. Mrs Nerysa Lee, General Manager
and Training Director of the Hong Kong Travel and Tourism Training
Centre Ltd. (HKTTTC), said that the tourism industry had a wide
spectrum of jobs of different nature. Practitioners in the industry
had to face different kinds of customers every day. The industry
should be able to offer jobs that matched the interests of a variety
of young job-seekers. Moreover, the industry also provided
comprehensive training for people interested in joining the
industry, making it very attractive to young people.
52. Mr CHOW Tung-shan pointed out that the Labour
Department was cooperating with the HKTTTC and the China Travel
Service (HK) Ltd. in running a "Training Course for Out-bound
Tour Escorts" for trainees of the YPTP. Apart from imparting
professional knowledge relating to the industry, the programme also
offered a one-month workplace attachment opportunity to enable
participants to gain some first-hand working experience in the
industry. The programme started on 12 November 2001, and 28
participants took the out-bound tour escort examination of the
Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong on 30 November. Those who could
pass the examination and had performed well during the attachment
period would be expected to start work in January 2002 at the
earliest. Participants of the forum generally welcomed this pilot
project and agreed that the project could help nurture new blood for
the tourism industry and provide more job opportunities for young
people.
53. The results of the discussion were reported
back to the plenary by Mrs Nerysa Lee.
Pilot Project (2): Developing positive
attitude towards life and work through parental influence
54. Mrs Jennie Chor, Assistant Commissioner for
Labour (Labour Relations), set out the important role parents played
in helping young people develop positive attitude towards life and
work. She elaborated that school leavers between the ages of 15 and
19, lacking job skills, work experience and interpersonal skills,
were at an unfavourable competitive position in the knowledge-driven
employment market. Some studies showed that as the moral values of
young people declined, a lot of employers had formed a negative view
on young people. If this negative impression should continue, the
problem of youth unemployment would be aggravated. She said that the
YPTP would jointly organize a "Parent-child Workshop
Project" with social welfare organizations. She invited two
social service practitioners to share their research and experience
on this subject.
55. Mr LAM Keung, Social Work Supervisor (Youth
Services) of the Caritas, Hong Kong, analyzed the characteristics of
a group of 15 to 19 year old young people who had no schooling or
work, had little motivation to learn, or a habit of night-drifting.
These young people had poor family relationship, lacked family
support and disliked staying at home to avoid family problems. They
were emotionally disturbed, easily coerced or seduced, and might
fall victim to crime. The crux of the problem was the weakening
family function that led to the youngsters’ deviant behaviours. To
help these young people, it was necessary to nurture a good family
atmosphere and strengthen the emotional support function of the
family.
56. Ms CHANG Siu-wah, Executive Secretary of the
American Baptist Mission, introduced the concept and contents of the
"Parent-child Workshop". She pointed out that the family
system was very influential. Hence, it was necessary to enhance
parents’ capabilities to help young people cope with employment
problems, including career planning, job searching and difficulties
arising in the course of work. She believed that the workshop could
help parents perform such role. Through experiential learning, this
project aimed at helping parents master the basic skills of
communication with young people. It could also help parents to
better understand the needs and abilities of young people, the
current employment market and facilities available in the community,
so that they could assist their children to develop a positive
attitude towards life and work. The project would include discussion
and sharing sessions, and a day camp.
57. Delegates then actively participated in the
open discussion. A young person said that parents should give
youngsters more freedom and autonomy with fewer restrictions. One
parent expressed support for the concept of Parent-child Workshop,
and indicated that parents really needed the relevant training and
support in order to help their children get employed. She also
expressed that it was important to understand and master the basic
skills of effective communication with young people. Another parent
suggested bringing the message in the workshop to the parent-teacher
associations for reference. Another participant echoed that parents
should give young people more room to explore their future.
Participants also supported including parents as contact persons in
the YPTP.
58. The results of the discussion were reported
back to the plenary by Ms CHANG Siu-wah.
Pilot Project (3): Youth entrepreneurship
59. Mrs Jenny Chan, Assistant Commissioner for
Labour (Employees’ Rights & Benefits), pointed out that with a
view to enhancing young people’s employability and tackling youth
unemployment, youth entrepreneurship was an area worth exploring. As
a pilot project of the YPTP, the Labour Department would cooperate
with four training institutions and provide the basic "start-up
capital" for five entrepreneurial groups to bid for the Chinese
New Year’s Eve market booths in Victoria Park. This would enable
interested participants to attempt starting a business and gain
practical experience. Under the supervision of training
institutions, every participant would learn how to deploy resources,
manage and operate a business. Upon completion of the event, each
training institution would be required to submit a report to the
Programme Office of the YPTP, giving an account of the programmes
organized and their financial positions. The Labour Department would
review the effectiveness of the project with the relevant
organizations and organize experience sharing activities with a view
to generating new ideas in helping young people obtain employment
and exploring more effective youth employment measures.
60. Ms Alice Lui, Subteam Leader (Adolescence
Team) of the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG), shared
her experience in implementing youth entrepreneurship programmes.
Since 1999, HKFYG had set up five entrepreneurship teams to provide
a bar, hair salon, retail shop, banner design team and a cleaning
team in the organization’s youth centre. In 2001, the youth
entrepreneurship programme began to operate in a genuine business
environment, e.g. in shopping arcades. Ms Lui emphasized that other
than acquiring basic knowledge in business operations, young people
benefited from developing their abilities in organization of work
and problem solving. Their motivation and job stability were also
enhanced during the process. Ms Lui expressed that youth
entrepreneurship was in fact a kind of employment training, and its
success would depend on the willingness and interest of the youth,
the support and guidance of the social workers, as well as the
setting of clear objectives.
61. Ms Alice Wan, Warden of Aberdeen Kai Fong
Welfare Association Social Service Centre, shared her experience in
helping young people organize stalls in the New Year’s Eve market.
She said the aims of setting up the stalls were to enhance
participants’ understanding of small businesses, and to promote
cooperation among group members. Participants must first sign a
shareholder’s agreement that would clearly delineate the role of
every shareholder. At the implementation stage, the participants had
to work out their duty rosters and inventory records. The social
workers would provide guidance on selling skills and organization
methods. Ms Wan revealed that every participant made some
improvements in the end, e.g. from being sluggish to become
responsible, from being passive and shy to become active. Ms Wan
believed that the "Youth Entrepreneurship Programme" was a
social investment that would give young people an opportunity to
develop.
62. In the open discussion, participants
suggested that youth entrepreneurship should be examined from a
broader perspective, such as business strategies, investment
management, innovation, etc., instead of confining it to a social
service. A YPTP trainee said that in the process of learning how to
start a business, the participants needed not only knowledge on
business operation and various support from social workers, but also
greater freedom in the process including the choice of areas of
business.
63. The results of the discussion were reported
back to the plenary by Ms Alice Lui.
Discussion Sessions
Discussion Session 1: An integrated approach
in enhancing youth employability
64. The discussion session was facilitated by Mrs
Betty Ip, Assistant Director (Education Services) of the Education
Department. The objectives of the session were: (i) to explore
strategies for enhancing the employability of 15 to 19 year old
youngsters with low academic qualifications; and (ii) to share
experiences in enhancing the employability of young people and
inspirations for the formulation of future strategies.
65. Mr CHAN Kam-cheung, Deputy Director of the
HKFYG, explored employment strategies for enhancing the
employability of youngsters with low academic qualifications. He
pointed out that such 15 to 19 year old youngsters were by no means
homogeneous; they had different levels of maturity, academic
qualifications, job motivation, social skills, family support and
personal development experiences. As such, when policies and
services were formulated, the conditions and needs of different
groups should be taken into consideration. However, on the whole,
such youngsters had the following characteristics: relatively weak
in academic capabilities (in terms of examination results) and
either left of their own accord or excluded from mainstream
education at different stages; relatively deficient in family
resources; lack of work experience, good working habits and life
experience; and not having the intention of entering the job market
permanently.
66. Mr CHAN Kam-cheung went on to point out that
youth unemployment was a grave concern and relevant statistics did
not include those outside the labour force who were neither in
school nor being trained. Preventing the emergence of a
"Decadent Generation" was an imminent task. Mr Chan
suggested to provide diversified education in junior secondary and
senior secondary schools to allow youngsters of differing abilities
to remain in the education system, and to equip themselves to
develop their abilities to meet the needs of the knowledge-driven
economy. At the same time, employment guidance in schools should be
strengthened, including allowing students to gain practical work
experience to foster good work attitude and interpersonal skills.
67. As regards training, some of the current
training programmes were self-financed. Mr CHAN Kam-cheung suggested
that subsidy policies be reviewed to allow youngsters with
inadequate financial means to participate in these programmes. It
was also necessary to establish a unified evaluation and
accreditation mechanism to accredit youngsters’ abilities, and to
assist them find jobs and pursue further studies. He also suggested
that training organizations should review the student recruitment
criteria and use a diversified system to evaluate the abilities of
applicants so that students who failed to obtain formal Secondary
Three and Secondary Five qualifications could get on the training
ladder.
68. Furthermore, Mr CHAN Kam-cheung proposed
increasing the opportunities for workplace experience for
youngsters. Apart from the YPTP, it would be necessary to increase
the opportunities for voluntary work, work attachments, overseas
studies and experiences schemes. Adequate information on employment
and further studies should also be provided.
69. Ms AU YEUNG So-wah, Service Coordinator of
the Hong Kong SKH Welfare Council, then related the experience of
implementing the "School-based Careers Guidance Scheme".
The Scheme mainly assisted Secondary Three and Secondary Five
students to equip themselves before leaving school so as to enhance
their employability after graduation. Ms AU YEUNG also shared some
of her experience gained from the Scheme on the development of
employment guidance. It was extremely important for youngsters to
equip themselves for employment before leaving school. They should
acquire up-to-date employment information, and understand their own
career inclinations and personal characteristics. They should also
receive life skills training which would enable them to smoothly
adapt to the transition from school to the people, issues and
circumstances of a working environment. Work skills training and
practical work attachment experiences, which could enhance the
competitiveness of youngsters entering the world of work and finding
employment, were also very important. Furthermore, the direct and
supportive role of parents in assisting their children to find jobs
should also be strengthened.
70. Another piece of experience was that
educational goals and techniques must be properly coordinated. Ms AU
YEUNG So-wah believed that education must provide all-round
development and diversified learning, placing equal importance in
"academic" and "vocational" abilities.
Furthermore, the formulation of an
all-round education and human resources policy would be conducive to
nurturing an independent and creative next generation to meet the
human resource needs of a rapidly transforming economy and society.
71. Ms WONG Wai-man, a representative of
youngsters, also shared her experience of participating in
pre-employment training programme. Ms Wong was personally inclined
to clerical work but, as she did not have sufficient academic
qualifications, her attempts were met with repeated failure.
However, with the encouragement and referral of a social worker, she
secured the present clerical job. She enjoyed her work and had a
strong sense of satisfaction. She was actively acquiring further
work-related knowledge and skills in the hope of finding an even
better position in future.
72. In the open discussion, participants pointed
out that since youngsters with lower than Secondary Three
qualifications were generally very young, with low academic
qualifications and lacking in life experience, they were the most
vulnerable group. As they were in need of training opportunities,
participants suggested that greater attention should be paid to them
and appropriate training and supporting services should be
developed. The participants commended on the results of the YPTP
which provided young school leavers with training incorporating
individual guidance, self-challenge, job skills and interpersonal
relationship to equip them for future work or training. However,
they considered that the YPTP was just a starting point in the
enhancement of youth employability. Participants suggested that
consideration should be given to enable youngsters who had completed
the YPTP to continue moving up the training ladder.
73. Regarding the creation of employment
opportunities, youngsters participating in the discussion reflected
the changes in their personal growth after working as Programme
Assistants. It was revealed that suitable job opportunities could
enhance the confidence and positive attitude of young people.
Participants hoped that society could offer more job opportunities
and support services (including individual counselling, peer
support, etc.) to enable youngsters make their first steps towards
employment. Participating employers while expressing their
willingness to provide youngsters with employment opportunities also
expected youngsters to cherish and make good use of the
opportunities, and be willing to start from low level jobs to set a
good foundation for their future development.
74. Ms CHENG Wai-hing, Supervisor of the Tin Shui
Wai Children and Youth Integrated Team, Evangelical Lutheran Church
of Hong Kong, reported on the results of the discussion.
Discussion Session 2: Creating employment
opportunities for young people
75. The discussion session was facilitated by Mr
Simon Choi, Chief Social Work Officer (Youth) of the Social Welfare
Department. The discussion focused on: (i) creation of employment
opportunities for youths; and (ii) experience in creating employment
opportunities for youths and its inspirations on formulating future
strategies.
76. Mr Anthony Chang, Project-in-charge, Youth
Pre-employment Training Project of the Salvation Army, shared his
experience in organizing a cleaning team for buildings in Yau Ma Tei,
Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok. The team was mainly responsible for
assisting in monitoring the environmental sanitation of the
districts, liaising with households to maintain hygiene, and
performing some cleaning work. The team members, comprising a
supervisor and four workers, were youngsters from the age of 16 to
18 who had received schooling of Secondary Two to Secondary Five.
With appropriate on-the-job guidance, they worked independently,
undertaking the majority of supervisory work such as arranging the
work shifts, keeping attendance records and allocating work, etc.
77. Mr David Shum, Deputy Executive Director of
Youth Outreach, briefed the participants on the vision, scope of
service and the Youth Employment Service (YES) programme of Youth
Outreach. After obtaining the necessary funding, Youth Outreach
organized a youth team to provide courier service for the commercial
sector. The programme aimed at providing opportunities for
youngsters to acquire on-the-job training and work experience. After
completing 12 months’ training, the participants would get
reference letters and assistance from Youth Outreach in finding
suitable employment. Over the last 6 months, the programme had
successfully helped a number of youngsters find a job or return to
school. Youth Outreach hoped that this programme could create job
opportunities for 50 youngsters at the same time and become
financially independent by the end of 2002. Mr David Shum appealed
to the participating employers for service orders, through which
more opportunities could be made available for young people in
getting their first jobs.
78. Mr David Tang, a member of the Strategic
Committee on Tackling Unemployment of the Hong Kong Council of
Social Service, said that it would be important to find training and
career development opportunities for young people. He pointed out
that employment opportunities were considerable in industries
providing supporting or maintenance services such as maintenance
work of elevators, air conditioners, water and power supply
facilities, fire systems, etc. Work in these industries required
professional knowledge and technical skills and, more importantly,
they could not be moved out of Hong Kong to areas with lower
production cost. Manpower requirements in these industries should
therefore remain high. Mr Tang was once responsible for running two
car maintenance training centres which aimed at assisting young
people to develop positive attitude towards work and career. It
helped motivate youngsters to receive training with greater patience
in a profession in which they would see their future. Mr Tang also
remarked that due to limited resources, programmes of this kind must
be self-financing in the long run.
79. To sum up, the three speakers and the
participants made the following suggestions regarding creating
employment opportunities for young people. First, the community
should recognize the potentials of youngsters and give them job
opportunities and work responsibilities, i.e. chances to bring their
potentials into play. Also, in providing service on youth
employment, social service and on-the-job training opportunities for
the youth as well as commercial considerations should all be taken
into account. As youngsters would usually be less disciplined with
little interpersonal and job skills, it was necessary to provide
counselling on interpersonal skills and work attitude to enhance
their ability to persevere in times of adversity. Continuous
on-the-job training would also be important as it helped youngsters
grasp new skills and update their knowledge of work. On the other
hand, in view of the emphasis on cost-effectiveness in the
commercial sector, one had to strike a balance between providing
service and training to young people, and running a business on
commercial principles.
80. Some participants considered that it was
important for youth workers to guide young people to see a future in
their work. In this regard, it would be advisable to co-organize
training courses with professional bodies, thereby expanding the
realm of youth employment. Finally, participants opined that even
fragmented work experience would help young people enter the job
market. They should therefore be encouraged not to give up even
temporary jobs.
81. The results of the discussion were reported
by Ms LEUNG Kam-ling, Coordinating Secretary (Outreaching Social
Work) of the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong.
Discussion Session 3: Promoting equal employment
opportunities for disadvantaged groups
82. This discussion session was facilitated by Ms
Virginia Chan, Assistant Director (Agency Service) of the Hong Kong
Council of Social Service. The purposes of the discussion were: (i)
to study the difficulties disadvantaged youth face in seeking
employment; and (ii) to discuss strategies for providing equal
employment opportunities to disadvantaged youth.
83. Mr FUNG Ho-lup, Associate Professor of the
Department of Social Work, the Chinese University of Hong Kong,
analyzed various employment policies including employment creation,
employment subsidies, employment service, vocational training,
social security and social service. He believed that from the
perspective of enhancing employment opportunities for disadvantaged
persons, relevant policies must be offered as an integrated package
to achieve the best results. He cited examples of the policies and
experiences of western countries in assisting disadvantaged persons
to find employment. He indicated that the Labour Department,
Employees Retraining Board and Social Welfare Department in Hong
Kong had implemented a number of measures to assist and support
disadvantaged people to find employment with a certain level of
success. However, vocational guidance for disabled people in the
mainstream education system, especially in the area of school to
work transition, still needed strengthening.
84. Ms Tiffana Chow, General Manager of the
Marketing Consultancy Office (Rehabilitation), Social Welfare
Department introduced the work of the department’s Marketing
Consultancy Office (Rehabilitation) and its experience of developing
employment opportunities for persons with disability. She expressed
that the mission was to publicize the work ability of disabled
people and promote the employment opportunities for the disabled.
The main duties of the office included liaising with local
industrial, commercial and other organizations and canvassing
various kinds of work and product orders for sheltered workshops and
supported employment units as well as providing suggestions
regarding their market strategies. The office also conducted various
publicity activities to enhance public awareness of the work
abilities of persons with disability. She added that one of the
major directions of the office was to increase the opportunities for
contact between their clients and members of the public and by so
doing, deepen the understanding of the disabled, enhancing the
communication and social skills of their clients, strengthening
their confidence and improving their employability.
85. Mr CHAN Siu-cheuk, Principal of Christian
Zheng Sheng College, also shared his experience of assisting
drug-abusing youngsters. He said that Christian Zheng Sheng College
was a gospel drug rehabilitation institution. Their emphasis was
nurturing the students’ good character. The college helped
students improve their self-image, work attitude, self-discipline
and social skills through a series of learning activities, thereby
enhancing the quality of the students and their competitiveness in
the employment market. The college also provided students with
vocational training relevant to market needs so that students could
be well prepared to re-enter the community. To increase the students’
opportunities for practical experience, the college opened different
business units. This allowed students to gain work experience
through actual practice in an environment similar to the real
business world.
86. In the open discussion, many participants
indicated that Hong Kong was undergoing structural transformation.
In a knowledge-based economy, there would be fewer low-skilled jobs
and the various groups with relatively weak competitiveness would
often end up competing against each other in the employment market.
Participants hoped that a full and thorough research and analysis of
Hong Kong’s employment problems could be conducted with a view to
formulating comprehensive strategies to foster youth employment.
Furthermore, participants pointed out that at present the Government
had a number of measures aiming at assisting disadvantaged youth to
find employment with some degrees of success. They appealed to all
departments concerned to strengthen their coordination and
cooperation to enhance the effectiveness of these measures.
87. Ms Virginia Chan made a summary of the
results of the discussion session. She pointed out that to promote
equal job opportunities for disadvantaged youth, the service that
dealt with the transition from school to work was particularly
important. Apart from strengthening occupational skill training,
focus must also be placed on nurturing youngsters’ good work
attitude and interpersonal skills, and strengthening cooperation
with guidance teachers to enhance youth employability and
understanding of employment market information. Furthermore, the
Government and voluntary organizations should continue to adopt
effective measures to highlight the work ability of disadvantaged
youth to the general public. Youth unemployment was a structural
problem that must be solved through the concerted efforts of all
government departments concerned. She appealed to the authorities to
make reference to overseas experience and carry out comprehensive
research into the problem of youth unemployment, make an overall
evaluation of the entire demand and supply of the employment market,
and formulate macroscopic and integrated strategies to enhance job
opportunities for young people.
88. A report on the results of the discussion
session was presented by Ms YING Fung-sau, Leader of the Hong Kong
Christian Service Outreaching Team.
Conclusions
89. Mr William Siu, Deputy Commissioner for
Labour and Chairman of the Planning Committee of the Workshop,
reported the conclusions for the plenary discussions and pilot
projects while Dr CHOI Yuen-wan, Chairman of Commission on Youth,
delivered the conclusions for the afternoon discussion sessions.
(1) Plenary Discussions
(i) Strategies for enhancing the employability
of young people through combined efforts
90. Participants concurred on the importance of
youth employment. Mr William Siu highlighted the meeting's views
that efforts of different sectors should be integrated to enhance
the employability of young people. Regarding the strategies for
enhancing young people’s employability, the meeting put forward
the following proposals: Firstly, young people lacking motivation
should be approached at different levels, from all directions and
should be provided with integrated services that would encompass
guidance, training, employment and follow-up. The Government could
also consider the provision of disciplinary training of a longer
duration to inspire their eagerness. Parents were advised to get rid
of their prejudices, and help their children develop positive
attitudes towards life and work in the early years.
91. Secondly, there should be effective
assessment, guidance and referral mechanisms in place both within
and outside schools to let young people better understand their
career interests and abilities. Schools should pay due attention to
careers guidance, and better equip their guidance teachers.
Curriculum reforms and work-related experience could allow students
acquire an early understanding of their own interests and abilities.
Outside schools, we should continue to organize various careers
activities and improve our work on career interest assessment for
young people.
92. Thirdly, the ability to obtain and
disseminate employment market information should be strengthened and
market-responsive vocational training should be organized.
93. Fourthly, the formal education system and
vocational training institutions should play a role in enhancing the
employability of young people. Through curriculum reform, schools
should strengthen students’ abilities and skills in learning,
language, information technology, critical thinking, analysis,
communication, cooperation, problem-solving, and countering
adversities. The purposes would be to facilitate whole-person
development and bring out a plurality of intelligence. The entire
education system should be able to meet the needs of young people in
the transition from school to work and encourage them to continue
their self-development. More training opportunities should be
provided to young people with inadequate academic qualifications.
Vocational training had to be more flexible and diversified.
94. Fifthly, the business sector had an important
role to play in providing on-the-job training and short-term
attachment opportunities to young people.
(ii) Youth entrepreneurship
95. Participants agreed that entrepreneurship was
a viable employment alternative for young people. Although the Hong
Kong economy was still on its low side, many industries promised
considerable development opportunities. With the constantly evolving
business environment would come emerging business opportunities.
There would be ample opportunities for young people to pursue their
development both in high-technology industries or in the primary
sectors.
96. The speakers pointed out that as youth
entrepreneurs would face difficulties of all sorts during the
start-up phase, they must fortify themselves with proper orientation
and attitude and be well prepared.
97. Regarding orientation and attitude, youth
entrepreneurs must be determined to overcome difficulties and
frustrations. They must strive with devotion and persevere in face
of adversities. They must possess personal visions which would steer
them away from blindly jumping on the bandwagon. The ability to
master emotions would be useful in maintaining favourable relations.
Moreover, young entrepreneurs should handle every single task
conscientiously and with dedication. They should also learn to
capitalize on market opportunities and endeavour to devise effective
and efficient ways to meet market demands.
98. During the preparation stage, youth
entrepreneurs must cultivate a thorough understanding of the
industry they were about to enter. It would thus be advisable for
potential entrepreneurs to acquire the relevant knowledge and
practical experience in the industry through employment or
self-employment. In formulating their business plans, youth
entrepreneurs should draw up specific and detailed plans for venture
financing and the repayment schedule. Extra prudence should be
exercised in debt financing. Since it would not be feasible for the
Government to provide all the necessary assistance, entrepreneurs
would need to build up their business through their own creativity
and capabilities. Finally, youth entrepreneurs were advised to
gather relevant information by participating in interflow activities
and training programmes related to starting and running business
ventures.
(2) Pilot Projects
99. Mr William Siu together with the facilitators
and resource persons of the three pilot projects assessed the pilot
projects according to the following criteria: (i) the chances of
participants obtaining employment in future; (ii) its compatibility
with the overall socio-economic development; (iii) an evaluation of
its progress and effectiveness; (iv) the number of people who might
benefit in relation to the resources input; and (v) the support of
social partners. Having considered the above factors and after
deliberations, it was resolved by the delegates that Pilot Project
(1) on "Enhancing Youth Employability in Tourism and Related
Industries" should be submitted to the ILO Regional Meeting on
Youth Employment in Asia and the Pacific to be held in 2002 for
discussion.
100. Mr William Siu pointed out that the main
concept of the project would be to assist young people gain a smooth
transition from school to work through social services and various
forms of support. The project would also include parental
participation and support and could serve as a good reference for
other countries. Depending on their economic and social
circumstances, other countries could identify suitable industries
for the pilot project. Mr Siu also emphasized that all the three
pilot projects were worth pursuing as they would directly or
indirectly enhance youth employability. The Labour Department would
launch these three pilot projects in the context of the Youth
Pre-employment Training Programme (YPTP) and evaluate their
effectiveness.
(3) Discussion Sessions
101. Dr CHOI Yuen-wan noted that the Workshop
gathered resource persons from different sectors, including
different government departments such as the Labour Department,
Social Welfare Department and Education Department, as well as
representatives from employers, voluntary agencies, youth, scholars
and frontline workers, to discuss and exchange views on youth
employment issues. He remarked that the Workshop laid the
foundations for dealing with youth employment problems in the long
run.
102. Dr CHOI Yuen-wan identified three key issues
regarding youth employment that warranted further discussion and
action: (i) youth employability; (ii) enhancing employment
opportunities for young people; and (iii) equal opportunities in
youth employment. In respect of enhancing youth employability, Dr
Choi remarked that the pace of economic restructuring was becoming
more rapid. To improve youth employability, vocational training must
expand its focus beyond occupational skills. More importantly, young
people had to strengthen their soft skills, such as work attitude,
communication ability, and interpersonal relations, which were vital
to their employability. Dr Choi acknowledged the positive
contributions of the YPTP in this area. Notwithstanding that there
was room for further improvement, he remarked that the programme had
been effective in improving youth employability substantially.
Despite operating under limited resources, it had succeeded in
drawing together different sectors to form a service network of
massive scale. He urged the Government to continue its efforts in
operating the YPTP. He also pointed out that as frontline workers
had regular and direct contact with young people, they were well
poised to understand their mentality and needs. In planning training
and employment services, the Government should seek the views of
frontline youth workers. Dr Choi also urged employers to provide
more employment and training opportunities to young people.
103. Dr CHOI Yuen-wan pointed out that when
attempting to create employment opportunities for young people, we
must take into account their interests, abilities and constraints.
He cited several industries that would offer employment
opportunities for young people, i.e. courier service, cleaning
service, building maintenance, electrical and elevator maintenance
service. According to Dr Choi, developing the high-technology
sectors would not be the sole option. Industries that required
special skills and had sustainable development and existence in Hong
Kong would bring employment opportunities to young people. He also
suggested that the possibilities in job creation for young people in
the areas of tourism, recreation, sports and arts should be
explored.
104. On equal opportunities in youth employment,
Dr CHOI Yuen-wan explained that disadvantaged youth referred to
those who were disabled, had low academic qualifications, and those
who had a delinquent background. They might suffer from physical and
intellectual constraints, or low sociability and low education
attainment. Some employers might be unwilling to accept them or to
provide opportunities for them. Hence they had great difficulties in
securing employment. He appealed for a wider concern in the
community and hoped employers could put aside biases and provide
disadvantaged youth with more employment opportunities.
105. Dr CHOI Yuen-wan reiterated the gravity of
youth problems. School dropouts and the young unemployed could
easily fall prey to delinquency. To address the youth problem, we
must find ways to improve their personal qualities, building in them
a positive self-image and a commitment to the community. Such goals
would not be achieved in the short run since youth problems involved
various complicated social issues. He appealed to the concerned
government departments for their concerted efforts to follow up on
the discussions of the Workshop and implement the proposed
recommendations. More resources should also be allocated for
intensive researches into youth problems and employment, so that
important information and data relevant to the issues could be
collected and useful reference could be provided to the departments
to formulate sound and comprehensive policies on youth employment.
Concluding Remarks
106. Mrs Pamela Tan, Commissioner for Labour,
delivered the closing remarks for the Workshop. She thanked the
participants for their contributions and active participation in
making the event a huge success. She attributed the fruitful
discussions to the experience and opinions they shared at the
plenary discussions and other discussion sessions.
107. Furthermore, Mrs Tan remarked that the
support from various sectors would be pivotal in achieving the
objectives of the Workshop. She expressed deep gratitude to the ILO
for extending the invitation to the HKSARG to organize the event,
and to the Commission on Youth and the Labour Advisory Board for
co-organizing the Workshop. Finally, Mrs Pamela Tan declared the
successful conclusion of the Workshop.
