Chapter 5 Employment Services

• providing user-friendly employment services to employers and job-seekers;
• offering intensive employment-related assistance and personal service to vulnerable groups of unemployed people;
• assisting young people to enhance their employability and advising them on careers choice;
• regulating local employment agencies;
• safeguarding the interests of local employees employed by employers outside Hong Kong to work in other territories; and
• ensuring that employment opportunities for local workers are not adversely affected by abuse of the labour importation scheme.

The two principal legislation administered by this programme area are the Employment Agency Regulations made under the Employment Ordinance (EO) and the Contracts for Employment Outside Hong Kong Ordinance.

The Employment Agency Regulations, together with Part XII of the EO, regulate the operation of employment agencies in Hong Kong through a licensing system, inspection, investigation and prosecution.

The Contracts for Employment Outside Hong Kong Ordinance safeguards the interests of local manual workers and those non-manual employees with monthly wages not exceeding $20,000 who are recruited by employers outside Hong Kong to work in other territories through the attestation of employment contracts for these jobs.

The department posted a total of 752 323 vacancies from the private sector in 2010, an increase of about 27.6 per cent when compared with 589 564 in 2009. For updated statistics on the labour force, unemployment rate and underemployment rate, please visit the webpage:www.censtatd.gov.hk/hong_kong_statistics/statistical_tables/index.jsp?charsetID=1&subjectID=2&tableID=006

With an improving economy and labour market in 2010, the number of placements achieved increased to 149 609, up 23.8 per cent as compared to the corresponding figure in 2009. (Figures 5.1 and 5.2)

Job-seekers can select suitable vacancies and seek referral service at all job centres. Modern facilities such as digital display system, self-service touch-screen vacancy search terminals, fax machines, toll-free telephones, computers connected to the Internet and a resource corner are available.

Job-seekers registered at the Labour Department may call our Telephone Employment Service Centre on 2969 0888 for job referral service. Through conference calls, staff of the Centre can make arrangement for job-seekers to talk to employers direct.

Our Interactive Employment Service (iES) website (www.jobs.gov.hk) provides round-the-clock on-line employment service and comprehensive employment information. The iES is one of the most popular government websites, recording over 861.95 million page views in 2010. It hosts a number of dedicated webpages for specific clientele. To strengthen the services of the website, we have revamped its design and strengthened its functionalities in October 2010.

In June 2010, a Recruitment Centre for the Retail Industry was set up to provide tailor-made job-matching service and on-the-spot interview arrangements for retail establishments and job-seekers. This is the second industry-based recruitment centre after the Recruitment Centre for the Catering Industry.

Employers who need to recruit staff can send their vacancy information to our Job Vacancy Processing Centre by fax (2566 3331) or through the Internet (www.jobs.gov.hk). The vacancy information will be uploaded onto the iES website and posted at our job centres after vetting.

To facilitate the job-seekers in obtaining job vacancy information, we have piloted the sharing of vacancy search terminals, linked to our vacancy database, with non-governmental organisations which provide placement services to the public, in four remote districts in which job centres are not in the vicinity, including Tung Chung, Kwai Tsing, Tseung Kwan O and Island South.

We organise a variety of activities to promote our employment services and appeal for vacancies from employers. Job fairs are held to facilitate job-seekers and employers to meet and communicate direct. To assist job-seekers living in remote areas in securing employment, we held large-scale job fairs in Tin Shui Wai, Tuen Mun, Tung Chung and Sheung Shui in 2010. Moreover, to respond more promptly to the recruitment needs of employers and provide a more user-friendly service to job-seekers of different districts, we held mini-job fairs at job centres to assist employers to recruit local staff and to enable job-seekers to participate in job interviews without having to travel long distance. In the year, 20 large-scale job fairs and 327 mini-job fairs were held, attracting some 53 000 job-seekers.

To further strengthen the dissemination of local vacancy information and to promote Labour Department's employment services, we have since 2009 organised "Job Info Days" and other district-based employment promotional activities at various districts. In the year, we organised 30 such events which attracted about 21 600 visitors.

The Employment Programme for the middle-aged was launched in May 2003 to assist the unemployed aged 40 or above to secure employment. Since its enhancement from June 29, 2009, employers who engage an eligible middle-aged job-seeker in a full-time permanent job and offer him/her on-the-job training will receive a training allowance of $2,000 per month, for three to a maximum of six months. As at the end of 2010, a total of 50 448 placements were secured through the programme.

We launched the Work Trial Scheme in June 2005 to enhance the employability of job-seekers who have special difficulties in finding jobs. There is no age limit for applicants. During the one-month work-trial without employer-employee relationship, participants take up jobs offered by participating organisations. On satisfactory completion of the one-month work trial, the Labour Department will pay each participant an allowance of $5,000, while the participating organisation will contribute an additional allowance of $500. As at year end, a total of 3 354 job-seekers were placed into work trials.

To encourage the unemployed to land on and sustain employment, we launched a two-year Pilot Employment Navigator programme (ENP) in December 2010 to provide the unemployed with in-depth and personalised employment consultation. A cash incentive of up to $5,000 will be paid to each unemployed who successfully secures and stays in employment after receiving the employment consultation service under the programme. As at the end of 2010, 416 job-seekers have enrolled in ENP.

Commencing in June 2007 and with eligibility criteria relaxed in July 2008, the Transport Support Scheme is designed to provide time-limited allowances as an incentive for needy job-seekers and low-income employees in the four designated remote districts of Yuen Long, Tuen Mun, the North and Islands with a view to encouraging them to "go out" to seek jobs and work across districts. Under the relaxed scheme, time-limited transport allowances, viz. Job Search Allowance of up to $600 and On-the-job Transport Allowance of $600 per month for up to 12 months are made available to eligible applicants. As at the end of 2010, a total of 41 772 applicants have been admitted to the scheme.

We provide through our job centres a comprehensive range of employment services to new arrivals and ethnic minority job-seekers. These include employment counselling, job referral, tailor-made employment briefing and employment information.

In major business closure or redundancy cases, the Labour Department sets up hotlines for enquiry and special counters at job centres to provide priority job referral and job matching services to affected employees. We appeal to employers to provide suitable vacancies and inform the affected employees of such vacancies to facilitate their job search. In addition, under the Department's iES website, we set up a dedicated webpage to display vacancies offered by employers interested in recruiting job-seekers who lost their jobs in recent closure or redundancy exercises. In 2010, we offered priority placement services to 1 201 affected employees.

The Selective Placement Division (SPD) offers employment assistance to job-seekers with disabilities looking for open employment. Placement officers will provide personalised employment services, job matching services and, where appropriate, make referrals to tailor-made retraining programmes. In 2010, the SPD registered 3 051 job-seekers with disabilities and helped place 2 405 of them into employment. (Figure 5.3)

The Labour Department has launched the Work Orientation and Placement Scheme (WOPS) since April 2005 to enhance the employability of persons with disabilities. The scheme features pre-employment training to job-seekers with disabilities on job-search/interviewing techniques and communication/ interpersonal skills, etc, as well as a financial incentive to the participating employers. To further improve the employment opportunities of persons with disabilities, the financial incentive to employers has been increased and the payment period for employers providing appropriate training, support and assistance to people with disabilities has been extended as from June 29, 2009. Since then, employers participating in the scheme receive financial incentive from the Labour Department, equal to two-thirds of the actual wages paid to the employee with disabilities (subject to a ceiling of $4,000 per month) for up to a maximum of six months. As at the end of 2010, the scheme achieved 2 249 work placements.

The Self Help Integrated Placement Service (SHIPS) aims at improving the job-searching skills of job-seekers with disabilities and encouraging them to be more proactive in the search for jobs, thereby enhancing their employment opportunities. In 2010, 562 job-seekers with disabilities participated in the programme.

The Interactive Selective Placement Service (iSPS) Website (www.jobs.gov.hk/isps) provides employment services for job-seekers with disabilities and employers through the Internet. The website enables persons with disabilities to register with the SPD, browse job vacancy information and perform preliminary job-matching. It also enables employers to place vacancy orders, identify suitable job-seekers with disabilities to fill their vacancies and request the SPD to refer candidates to them for selection interview. The website facilitates employers to browse information on the work capacity of persons with disabilities more readily. At the same time, it helps persons with disabilities to access to various on-line employment services and other related support services.

To enhance public understanding of the working abilities of persons with disabilities as well as to publicise the services of SPD and WOPS, the division conducted a series of promotional activities, such as exhibitions, production of publications, promotional advertisements, newspaper supplements, radio programmes, and a television and radio Announcement in the Public Interest on employment of persons with disabilities during the year. In addition, two large-scale seminars were held for employers and human resources practitioners. Special promotional campaigns on targeted trades were also conducted to canvass job vacancies for persons with disabilities.

In September 2009, the Labour Department integrated the Youth Pre-employment Training Programme (YPTP) and the Youth Work Experience and Training Scheme (YWETS) into a "through-train" programme - "YPTP&YWETS" - to provide seamless and comprehensive youth training and employment support to young school leavers aged 15 to 24 with educational attainment at sub-degree level or below.

Under the revamped programme, trainees can enrol on a year-round basis and are entitled to a full range of coordinated and customised training and employment support services, including pre-employment training, one-month workplace attachment training, on-the-job training of six to 12 months, reimbursement of off-the-job course and examination fees up to $4,000 per trainee, as well as case management services rendered by registered social workers. Participating employers are entitled to a monthly training subsidy of $2,000 per trainee during the period of on-the-job training.

In the first programme year running from September 2009 to August 2010, some 6 900 young people attended pre-employment training and around 4 600 trainees were placed into training vacancies under the YPTP&YWETS. In addition, some 1 100 trainees found employment in the open market with the assistance of case managers.

The YPTP&YWETS also closely collaborated with training bodies to launch well-received special employment projects for industries and individual establishments. These projects included "tailor-made employment projects" and "tailor-made training-cum-employment projects". The former refers to projects co-organised with establishments offering large number of on-the-job training vacancies while the latter provides pre-employment job skills training custom-made for a particular establishment which is immediately followed by on-the-job training. In the 2009/10 Programme, 36 special employment projects were run for employers in the retail, catering, tourism, education, business services, construction and engineering, transport, and property management industries.

In August, we organised the Award Ceremony of Most Improved Trainees of YPTP&YWETS to showcase the benefits brought to the trainees through the programme and commend the caring efforts of training bodies and employers. Trainees' recollection of their experience in striving for improvement constituted the best encouragement to their peers. It was also a sterling testimony to the achievements of trainees, training bodies, employers and the Government in nurturing the development of the younger generation.

To strengthen the employment support for vulnerable youths, the Labour Department in July 2010 launched a special employment project targeting young people aged between 15 and 24 with acute employment difficulties due to low educational attainment, emotional/behavioural problems or learning difficulties. Under this project, non-governmental organisations are commissioned to nominate vulnerable youths and provide on-the-job training opportunities to them for a period of 12 months. Through intensive and customised training and employment support, the project aims at nurturing the work knowledge and skills of participants for their personal and career development.

The Labour Department operates two youth employment resource centres named Youth Employment Start (Y.E.S.). The two centres provide one-stop service on employment and self-employment to young people aged between 15 and 29 to facilitate them to map out their career path, enhance their employability and support young people to pursue self-employment. Services provided include career assessment, career guidance, professional counselling, value-adding training, support services on employment and self-employment as well as up-to-date labour market information. In 2010, the two centres provided services to 72 606 young people.

As a special and time-limited initiative launched against the backdrop of the financial tsunami, the Internship Programme for University Graduates (GIP) encourages enterprises to offer internship and employment opportunities for university graduates of 2008 and 2009, with a view to broadening their horizons, enriching their experience and fostering their career development. Taking into account the notable improvement in the labour market situation and the increase in job openings for university graduates, GIP ceased accepting internship positions and applications from graduates after March 31, 2010.

For local internships, graduates receive training in their capacity as employees, and are paid wages commensurate with the duties, responsibilities and training contents of the posts. During the period of internship, an employer receives a training subsidy of $2,000 per intern per month from the Government.

GIP also provided for the first time internship opportunities on the Mainland under the auspices of the Government, giving university graduates valuable chances to acquire first-hand knowledge of the operation of Mainland enterprises and the development of Mainland economy. Mainland internships are not premised on an employment relationship. An intern on the Mainland is entitled to receive a living allowance of $3,000 and, depending on circumstances, an accommodation allowance of $1,500 each month from the Government.

Since commencement of enrolment to GIP on August 1, 2009 and up to the end of 2010, 1 692 graduates have secured employment in Hong Kong through the Programme. Their average monthly salary was $8,800, with the highest offer being $22,000. For Mainland internships, 236 graduates had taken up internships in different Mainland cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

We monitor the operation of employment agencies through licensing, inspection and investigation of complaints. In 2010, we issued 2 168 employment agency licences and refused to renew one. As at year-end, there were 2 158 licensed employment agencies in Hong Kong. A total of 1 329 inspections were made to employment agencies in the year.

We regulate employment outside the territory to safeguard the interests of local employees engaged by employers outside Hong Kong to work in other territories by attesting all employment contracts entered into in Hong Kong involving manual employees and non-manual employees with monthly wages not exceeding $20,000.

To cater for the genuine needs of employers, the department administers the Supplementary Labour Scheme that allows the entry of imported workers to take up jobs at technician level or below which cannot be filled locally. The scheme operates on the principles of ensuring the priority of local workers in employment while allowing employers with proven local recruitment difficulties to import labour to fill the necessary job vacancies.

We provide active job matching and referral services to local job-seekers to ensure their employment priority. Vacancies under the scheme are widely publicised locally. To facilitate local workers in filling the vacancies, they can attend tailor-made retraining courses, if appropriate. Applications from employers who have set restrictive or unreasonable requirements in terms of age, education, sex, skill or experience for the vacancies or who have no genuine intention to employ local workers will be rejected.

As at the end of 2010, there were 1 837 imported workers working in Hong Kong under the Supplementary Labour Scheme.

FDHs have been admitted to work in Hong Kong since the early 1970's. Apart from enjoying the same statutory rights and benefits as all employees in Hong Kong, FDHs are further protected by a written Standard Employment Contract. The Standard Employment Contract prescribed that, inter alia, the employer had to provide to the FDH free accommodation with reasonable privacy, free food (or food allowance in lieu), free passage to and from the FDH's place of origin and free medical treatment, etc. Furthermore, the Government had since the 1970s prescribed a Minimum Allowable Wage for FDHs as an additional safeguard against exploitation. The Government attached great importance to safeguarding their statutory and contractual rights. Claims of breach of statutory rights were promptly investigated and prosecution action would be taken out if there was sufficient evidence. In the year, the Department also widely publicised the rights and benefits of FDHs by, for instance, staging four information kiosks for FDHs at places they frequently gather on their rest days in February, March, September and October. The event attracted over 23 000 visitors. The Department also maintained close liaison with consulates of the FDH-exporting countries, non-governmental organisations serving FDHs and FDH employer groups to better address issues relating to importation of FDHs.

As at the end of 2010, there were 285 681 FDHs in Hong Kong, an increase of 6.7 per cent compared with 267 778 in 2009. About 49 per cent of the FDHs in Hong Kong were from Indonesia and 48 per cent from the Philippines.