Youth jobs target slashed to 6,000
The number of graduates recruited for the 'one company, one job' campaign is likely to be about 6,000, not 20,000 as originally projected, the director of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, Eden Woon Yi-tang, said yesterday.
The campaign, an initiative of six chambers, was launched two weeks ago and asks 10,000 companies to employ at least one intern more than their normal intake. Each recruit will be paid at least $6,000 a month.
Mr Woon said the 20,000-job estimate - made by Chan Wing-kee, chairman of the Chinese Manufacturers' Association - was unrealistic.
'We have 200 jobs pledged so far. I think 20,000 jobs was too optimistic . . . a more reasonable estimate when the dust settles is 6,000,' Mr Woon said.
'Most of these are coming from small-to-medium enterprises but there are also a lot not able to offer jobs because of the economic situation.'
Mr Woon was unable to say if the companies had already been planning to hire recruits.
'I'm not able to see through that but the support has been pretty good and we have had a quick response,' he said.
The Permanent Secretary for Economic Development and Labour, Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, met representatives of four small and medium enterprises' associations yesterday and encouraged their members to join the scheme. He said the response 'we have received so far is very encouraging'.
Hang Fung Gold Technology will hire 50 graduates at a recruitment drive tomorrow at the Miramar Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui.
A spokeswoman for the company said the recruits would fill openings in research and development, design, IT, tourism, administration and marketing.
CLP announced it would provide 10 more positions for new college graduates and higher-diploma holders.
The company plans to post the employees to the Power Systems Business Group, which is responsible for designing, building and operating the electricity supply and distribution networks.
Under the campaign, preference will be given to degree and diploma holders, but positions will also be available for Form Seven school-leavers.
Secretary for Economic Development and Labour Stephen Ip Shu-kwan has given a cool response to the Democrats' call for a summit on unemployment.
He said a summit would allow 'everyone to say something with the microphone', but might achieve little. Mr Ip was responding to a demand by the Democrats that people in all sectors of society should have a say in mapping out measures to solve unemployment, which has hit a record 7.7 per cent.
