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Home > Press Releases > 2020 > ERB is launching the “Love Upgrading Special Scheme” Phase 3 on 1 January 2021 - Substantial increase of training places and training options - Flexible disbursement of training allowance

ERB is launching the “Love Upgrading Special Scheme” Phase 3 on 1 January 2021 - Substantial increase of training places and training options - Flexible disbursement of training allowance

The Employees Retraining Board (ERB) is entrusted by the Government to launch the Phase 3 of “Love Upgrading Special Scheme” (“Special Scheme 3”) on 1 January 2021 to enhance the support for job seekers and employees affected by economic downturn for skills enhancement.  Under the Special Scheme 3, training targets will be doubled to 20,000 and training courses in offer will be substantially increased to about 450, nearly half of them can be conducted online as well, thereby enhancing the flexibility of trainees in receiving training during the infection prevention period.  Moreover, applications can be submitted via mail and online under the pandemic.   

By end of November 2020, over 100,000 course applications were received for Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the Special Scheme.  Immediately after the enrolment deadline of the Phase 2 on 31 December 2020, ERB will launch the Phase 3 in January 2021, offering about 450 training courses straddling 28 industries, including 281 vocational skills courses, 16 innovative technology courses, 26 generic skills courses and 116 dedicated courses for young people, new arrivals, ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities and persons recovered from work injuries.

The Special Scheme 3 retains an array of special arrangements, including no restriction on industry or educational attainment of trainees, courses are offered free of charge, disbursement of special allowance at a ceiling of $5,800 per month, and provision of “Enterprise-based Training”, etc.  In addition, a time-limited flexible measure will be introduced in that the attendance rate requirement for disbursing the special allowance will be lowered from 80% to 60%, with a view to facilitating trainees to seek employment when attending training.  Such disbursing arrangement is also applicable to ERB regular courses with classes commencing within the Special Scheme 3 period (i.e. January to September 2021).  Nevertheless, to uphold the training quality, trainees are still required to meet the standard attendance rate requirement of respective courses (80% in general) before they are eligible to sit for the course-end assessment and awarded graduation certificates upon passing of the assessments.  Trainees who have completed full time vocational skills courses or placement-tied courses with an attainment of 80% attendance rate will be provided with placement follow-up service.  Moreover, the course enrolment arrangement under the Special Scheme 3 will also be adjusted to avail training opportunities for more people who have not applied for the Special Scheme before and to speed up admission to classes.

Applicants of the Special Scheme 3 have to be unemployed, underemployed or required by employers to take no pay leave on or after 1 June 2019 and should meet the entry requirements of individual courses.  Eligible persons may submit applications in person, by post or online from 1 January to 30 June 2021 and attend classes on or before 30 September 2021.  For applicants who have enrolled but yet to attend classes in Phase 2, their applications will be automatically extended to Phase 3 and need not re-apply.  Applicants may also change their original course choices to meet their training needs.  Each applicant may apply up to a total of 4 training courses under the three phases of the Special Scheme with no more than two full-time vocational skills courses. 

For more details of the Special Scheme 3, course lists and application guidelines, please visit the dedicated website (www.erb.org/scheme) or call the ERB hotline 182 182 for any enquiries. 

Post Date:28/12/2020