PRESS RELEASES: 1999-2004
English in the Workplace Campaign
The Secretary for Education and Manpower, Mr Joseph W P Wong,
announced today (September 9) the establishment of the Steering
Committee on the English in the Workplace Campaign.
The Steering Committee will advise the Government on all aspects
of the planning, organisation and implementation of the English
in the Workplace Campaign with a view to heightening awareness
of the importance of English and raising the standard of workplace
English in the community.
The Steering Committee will be working in collaboration with
the standing Committee on Language Education and Research
(SCOLAR), which has earmarked around a total of $62 million
to support the Campaign.
"To maintain Hong Kong's competitive edge as an international
centre of business, finance and tourism, our workforce must
maintain a high standard of English. The year-long Campaign,
expected to commence in January 2000, seeks to heighten the
community's overall awareness of the importance of English
at work, and of the need to maintain a high level of bilingualism
in our society," said Mr Wong.
"The major elements of the Campaign will comprise a $50
million Incentive Grants Scheme to fund English Language training
programmes for employees; the promotion of workplace English
competency benchmarks; a business-school collaboration programme;
and a series of publicity programmes and events aimed at various
sectors of the community.
Mr Michael Tien, Chairman of the G2000 Group, has been appointed
to head the Steering Committee.
Ten members have also been appointed to the Steering Committee
in their personal capacities:
* Mr Michael CHAN, Chairman, Cafe de Coral Holdings Limited
* Mr Anthony CHOW, practicing solicitor and President of the
Law Society of Hong Kong
* Mr Danny LAU, Executive Director, Li & Fung Limited
* Mr Desmond LAUDER, Director, British Council
* Mr Frank MARTIN, President, American Chamber of Commerce
* Ms Virginia NG, Managing Director, DIYR Communications Ltd
* Mr Graham SORAH, Operations Director, Marks and Spencer
(Hong Kong) Ltd
* Mr Tong TAI, General Manager, IBM China/Hong Kong Ltd
* Mr Larry M K TCHOU, Senior Vice President & Managing
Director, Hyatt International - Asia Pacific, Ltd
* Dr Eden WOON, Director, HK General Chamber of Commerce
Deputy Secretary for Education and Manpower, Mr Raymond YOUNG,
will serve as an ex-officio member.
The Steering committee will hold its first meeting in October
to discuss planning and implementation of the Campaign in
greater detail. In the meantime, the Education and Manpower
Bureau and SCOLAR have been proceeding with the groundwork
for the Campaign.
At their meeting today, SCOLAR gave full support for the Campaign
and endorsed earmarking $12 million from the Language Fund
to fund the Campaign's programmes.
In addition, SCOLAR has endorsed an allocation of $50 million
from the Language Fund to launch an Incentive Grants Scheme
in the context of the Campaign to support employees' English
language training programmes. SCOLAR has also established
a task group to work out the details of the Incentive Grants
Scheme and the workplace English competency benchmarks.
"I would like to thank SCOLAR Members for their support
of the Campaign and their commitment to raising the community's
English language proficiency, especially in the workplace,"
said Mr Wong.
"I would also like to thank the Chairman and Members
of the Steering Committee for undertaking this very important
and meaningful task. I am confident that the Campaign will
successfully heighten our community's awareness of the importance
of English as a working language."
"We look to the business and professional sectors as
well as the community at large for their full support and
participation," Mr Wong added.
End/Thursday, September 9, 1999
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