Four training schemes will be launched this year under an initiative to beef up the supply of skilled manpower for the construction industry, which has suffered from a labour shortage in recent years. The initiative will see industry stakeholders work hand in hand with the Construction Industry Council (CIC) to strengthen manpower supply.
"In face of the manpower challenge, CIC and industry stakeholders will collaborate seamlessly to provide more training to attract new talents to join the construction workforce," says Lee Shing-see, chairman of the CIC. "By launching these new training schemes, we hope to support the industry with sufficient manpower for their upcoming projects."
The Subcontractor Cooperative Training Scheme has been designed to encourage subcontractors to hire and train workers. The plan is for as many as 1,100 participants to be trained up over a six-month period, with the scheme starting in May.
The Contractor Cooperative Training Scheme for the electronics and mechanics trades, meanwhile, is aimed at encouraging more people to join the sector by providing a training allowance. Up to 1,111 participants can be accepted into the programme, which will also start in May and last six months.
A one-year training allowance will also be offered to students of the electronics and mechanics trades at the Vocational Training Council in order to encourage them to pursue careers in the field after they finish their courses. The programme will start in September and will accept up to 595 students.
Finally, a training subsidy will be offered to employers in order to encourage them to provide on-the-job training. Up to 3,000 trainees will first undergo three to six months of training, followed by six months of on-the-job training. Employers will then be required to continue to employ graduates for at least 12 months.
"These new training schemes will help attract new blood and retain talent in the industry," says Billy Wong Wing-hoo, chairman of the CIC's Construction Industry Training Board. "We encourage young people to seize the opportunities to embark on a career in the industry and to create a brighter future for themselves."
