Logo of the Employees Retraining Board

The Employees Retraining Board (ERB) respects personal data privacy and this core value will be upheld by all staff of the ERB. As a data user, we are fully committed to implementing and complying with the data protection principles and all relevant provisions of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance.

Commitment

In compliance with the Ordinance: 

• Personal data will be collected for lawful purposes, and only if they are directly related to a function or activity of the ERB, by lawful and fair means. The collection will only be sufficient for the use of these purposes.
• All practicable steps will be taken to ensure that personal data are accurate, retained only for as long as necessary, and are protected against unauthorised or accidental access.
• The use, including disclosure or transfer, of the data shall be for the purpose for which it was collected or for a directly related purpose, unless prescribed consent from the data subject is obtained, or an exemption under Part VIII of the Ordinance is applicable.

Types of Personal Data Held

The ERB holds personal data in respect of the following five types of records:

• Personal data of trainees

  Personal data are collected from trainees (including applicants) who apply for enrolment to training courses, retraining allowance or exemption from course fees, those who have participated in skills assessments, and those who seek for placement and related services of the ERB. They also include data on self-employment and business start-up matters of trainees who have attended the self-employment courses. 

• Personal data of employers

  Personal data are collected from employers through marketing and promotional activities organised by the ERB, and from those who have made use of job referral services, and those who have co-organised training courses with the ERB.

• Employment-related records

  Personal data and records of serving and former staff. The ERB also collects personal data from job applicants but those of the unsuccessful applicants will be destroyed soon after completion of the recruitment exercise.

• Records on course instructors and assessors

  These include data collected from instructors and assessors of training courses appointed by Training Bodies appointed by the ERB, as well as part-time assessors engaged to conduct practical skills assessments for the ERB.

• Other records

  Other records include personal data collected from the public through marketing and promotional activities organised by the ERB. Personal data are collected during the course of investigation in response to public enquiries and complaints.

   

Main Purposes of Collecting and Retaining Personal Data

In general terms, the ERB collects and retains personal data for the following purposes: 

• Personal data of trainees

  For vetting applications for training courses, class arrangements, disbursement of retraining allowances, handling applications for exemption from course fees, provision of placement and follow-up services, conduct of skills assessments, and conduct of placement audit surveys and opinion surveys. The data may be transferred for the above purposes to Training Bodies appointed by the ERB, other relevant government departments including their authorised consultants, as well as independent research institutes for the above purposes.

• Personal data of employers

  For providing job referral services for employers, promotion of training courses and services, as well as processing applications from employers for organising training courses with the ERB.

• Employment-related records of in-service and former employees

  For human resource management purposes, including matters such as appointment, deployment, contract extension or renewal, salary adjustment, training and development, changes of employment terms and conditions of service, promotion, disciplinary actions, termination, discharge of MPF / ORSO, and issuance of certificates of services. Records on job applicants are collected for considering their suitability for appointment.

• Records on course instructors and assessors

  For ensuring that the qualifications of course instructors and assessors are up to the requirements of the ERB, for the purpose of course evaluation, audit, as well as for statistical analysis purposes.

• Other records

  For purposes which vary with the nature of records, such as administrative purpose in relation to the execution of the functions of the Board and activities arranged by the ERB, the seeking of advice on policy or operational matters, participating in activities and services provided by the ERB, and for the purpose of handling public enquiries.

   

Practice

Customer Services Section of the Executive Office is responsible for monitoring, supervising and liaising with other divisions on the compliance with the Ordinance, as well as drawing up and reviewing internal guidelines to comply with the Ordinance.

Personal Data Access / Correction Request

A data subject, or an authorised person acting on his/her behalf, can request access to and obtain a copy of personal data held in respect of his / her. The ERB can help provide black and white printouts of information at a charge of HK$1.00 per page of A3 / A4 size. He / she may also have that personal data corrected if it is found to be inaccurate. 

Excluding those exemptions under the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance, response to all requests will be made no later than 40 days after its receipt.

All requests for data access and correction may be addressed to Manager (Customer Services). All requests can also be directed to the ERB through erbhk@erb.org.

Please click here for the details of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance at the website of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data.