[Archive] Craft apprenticeship programmes of the VTC

Date of sitting: 6 February 2002

Asked by: Hon Li Fung-ying

Replied by: SEM

Question:

Regarding the Apprenticeship Scheme run by the Vocational Training Council ("VTC"), will the Government inform this Council whether it knows :

1. the new trades which were added to the Scheme in the past two years and the number of inspectors of apprentices newly appointed by VTC as a result; if no new trades were added, the reasons for that; and
   

2. the trades being considered by the VTC for addition to the Scheme?
   
   

Reply:

Madam President:

1. No new trade has been designated under the Apprenticeship Ordinance in the past two years while the Vocational Training Council (VTC) has been undertaking a review of the Apprenticeship Scheme.

   As a result of this review, the VTC is in the process of proposing amendments to the Apprenticeship Ordinance to put in place a more flexible and competence-based Apprenticeship Scheme. It is hoped that when the new Apprenticeship Scheme is introduced, more trades could at the same time be identified for designation under the Apprenticeship Ordinance. Designation of new trades is planned to be packaged with the legislative processing of other amendments to the Apprenticeship Ordinance for the sake of smooth administration.
   

   
   
2. "Audio-visual Frequency and Radio Mechanic" and "Building Services Mechanic" have already been identified as likely candidates for designation. Apart from these two trades, however, the VTC is taking steps to consult its training boards for proposals for more trades to be designated under the new Apprenticeship Scheme.