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Home > Press Releases > 2019 > ERB launches the "Love Upgrading Special Scheme" to support those recently unemployed or under-employed for skills enhancement

ERB launches the "Love Upgrading Special Scheme" to support those recently unemployed or under-employed for skills enhancement

The Employees Retraining Board (ERB) was entrusted by the Government to launch an one-off special training programme, namely the “Love Upgrading Special Scheme” (the “Scheme”) in October 2019, to assist those recently unemployed, be required to take no pay leave or under-employed to upgrade their skills for self-enhancement, with a view to re-entering the employment market as early as possible.

The Scheme offers each trainee integrated skills enhancement training of around 2 to 3 months in three training disciplines including “vocational skills”, “innovative technology” and “generic skills”.  Courses are offered free of charge and will be conducted in full-time or part-time (half-day or evening) mode.  Trainees will be awarded graduation certificates upon completion of training and fulfilment of graduation requirements. Trainees who have completed the “vocational skills” training courses will be provided with placement follow-up service.

There are altogether 36 training courses on “vocational skills”, 6 on “innovative technology” and 6 on “generic skills” under the Scheme, covering a wide array of industries and skills (A full list of courses is enclosed at the Annex).  Each eligible trainee may enrol up to 4 training courses with no more than one “vocational skills” training course in the period of 3 October 2019 to 31 March 2020, and attend the courses on or before 30 June 2020.  It is planned that the Scheme can support 10,000 persons in need.

Special arrangements will be implemented under the Scheme, including the disbursement of special allowance to trainees who have completed each full-time or part-time course under the Scheme with attainment of attendance rate of 80%.  The special allowances for full-time courses and part-time courses are $153.8 and $76.9 per day respectively, at a ceiling of $4,000 per month for each eligible trainee.

The Scheme does not impose any restriction on industry and educational attainment of the trainees.  However, applicants have to be unemployed, be required to take no pay leave, or under-employed on or after 1 June 2019 and should meet the minimum entry requirements of individual courses.  Applicants are required to declare their employment status and sign on the application form, and ERB will conduct random checks to confirm the authenticity of the status declared. 

For more details, please visit the Scheme’s dedicated website (www.erb.org/scheme) (in Chinese only) or call ERB hotline 182 182 for any enquiries.

 

Post Date:27/9/2019