PRESS RELEASES: 1999-2004

Seminar on Workplace English Campaign

The Standing Committee on Language Education and Research (SCOLAR) will hold a seminar on the Benchmarks of the Workplace English Campaign and the Funding Scheme for Workplace English Training at the Education and Career Expo this Sunday (February 24).

The seminar, targeting both employers and employees, will be held between 3:40 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. at Room 603-604, Level 6, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The Personnel Manager (Strategy & Relations Development) of Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd, Mr Albert Wong, and the Human Resources Manager of The HK & China Gas Co Ltd, Mr K S Yeung, will be the guest speakers. They will share their experience in making use of the Benchmarks and the Funding Scheme, and their expectations of the English standard of their staff. The seminar is open for any participant of the Expo.

In addition, SCOLAR has staged an exhibition booth (F16-20 & G15-19) on the Benchmarks and Funding Scheme at the Expo held between February 21 and 24.

Launched in February 2000, the aim of the Workplace English Campaign was to heighten public awareness of the importance of English in the workplace, and to motivate the workforce to raise their English standard. The key elements of the Campaign are the Benchmarking of Workplace English and the Funding Scheme.

Over 23,000 applications had been received so far for funding subsidy, with over 7,300 employees successfully completed their training and passed the international tests.

Regarding course development applications, 21 industry-specific training courses (including courses for taxi drivers, frontline staff in retail business, lawyers, transport and logistic personnel, restaurant frontline service personnel and accountants) have been or are being developed.

End/Friday, February 22, 2002