Home > Press Releases > 2008 and Before > Employees Retraining Board Grand Launching of the Training cum Employment Resource Centre

The Employees Retraining Board (“ERB”) today (8th October 2008) held the launching ceremony of its “Training cum Employment Resource Centre” (“TERC”). The festive ceremony was officiated by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr. Matthew Cheung, GBS, JP, the Permanent Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr. Paul Tang, JP; the Chairman of ERB Mr. Michael Tien, BBS, JP and the Vice Chairman of ERB Dr. Ng Tat-lun, BBS, JP.

The TERC has been set up in accordance with the Chief Executive’s Policy Address released in October 2007, in which it suggested a pilot scheme of “One-stop” model on the provision of employment support services. As the ERB’s Retraining Resource Centre at Lai Kok Estate in Cheung Sha Wan was to be relocated, ERB took this opportunity to pilot the TERC by strengthening its training and employment support services.

The Chairman of ERB Mr. Michael Tien said that the TERC was the first service centre in the territory having integrated both training and employment services, aiming to better serve the community. It mainly offers services to those aged 15 or above with education attainment of sub-degree or below, and with training and employment needs. In addition, the ERB also endeavours to serve commercial firms, especially SMEs, within the region. The TERC serves not only as a delivery spot for ERB training courses and services, but also through the regional partnership network offers multi-tiered services to different clients.

One of the characteristics of the TERC is a personalized assessment service provided by professional social workers on a need basis. TERC also provides case management service to job seekers who have been found with genuine training and employment needs after assessment. The assessment is conducted via a set of systematic “assessment tools” specially designed for local use for understanding and analyzing job seekers’ background and needs. It aims to help them understand their career aspirations, set up their training and career plan as well as determine their ultimate career goal.

To achieve the goal of “helping people to help themselves”, various support groups have been set up in the Centre so as to establish mutual assistance and support network among job seekers of similar background. Successful job-seekers are invited to share their experience in job searching. There are also dedicated “service corners” in the Centre providing platforms for information exchange and rapport building among specific clienteles, such as the new arrivals and ethnic minorities.

TERC is also equipped with the Labour Department’s “Vacancy Search System” and “Job Vacancy Information Cards” as well as comprehensive office facilities. Job seekers may use the facilities to prepare their resumes and apply for jobs. Regarding services for employers, TERC offers free-of-charge recruitment and referral services and also provides SMEs employers with useful information.

Mr. Michael Tien furthered that the setting up of the TERC was one of the brand-new services upon the repositioning of the ERB. Through apt training and employment support, ERB hoped that the unemployed would be able to achieve “Self-reliance” and “Self-improvement”, subsequently establishing “Self-esteem” and “Self-confidence”. Meanwhile, employees could also continue upgrading their skills to further their career development. In a nutshell, TERC was a pilot scheme integrating the above services and served as a booster for the ERB as well as the Government to blueprint any one-stop service in the future.