The MTR Corporation together with 18 leading contracting and engineering companies stages a “Job Fair for the Construction Industry” today and on Sunday,15 – 16 October 2011 to attract more people to join the construction industry of Hong Kong with over 1,500 openings for walk-in interviews.
Speaking at the Opening Ceremony, Mr T C Chew, Projects Director of the MTR Corporation said, “With the ten mega infrastructure projects being gradually implemented, the demand for construction workers soars. The new railway projects alone will generate 17,000 construction job opportunities in the next five years. Hong Kong’s construction industry today is different from that in the past. Our construction industry has been transforming towards the professional end. Workers need to be professionally trained and licensed, youngsters are encouraged to join now with on-the-job training. Both new joiners and returnees would be able to develop for themselves a promising career in the industry.”
The Guest of Honour, Mrs Carrie Lam, the Secretary for Development, said at the opening ceremony that the Government’s expenditure on infrastructural projects would reach a record high of more than $58 billion in this financial year. With some the 10 major infrastructure projects and other projects approaching the climax of the construction stage, it was estimated that the expenditure would be over $60 billion in the coming few years.
“The Government will work closely with the Construction Industry Council to enhance the training for construction workers so as to provide sufficient manpower to meet the market demand. I would like to thank MTR for organising this Job Fair to recruit more new blood to the industry,” said Mrs Carrie Lam.
Mr Lee Shing-see, Chairman of the Construction Industry Council said, “Construction industry has been facing the aging of front-line workers and skills mismatching problem in recent years.”
“In order to meet future manpower needs, CIC has introduced the Build Up Training Programme and Contractor Collaborative Scheme which aim at attracting more young people to the construction industry,” added Mr Lee.
“Apart from that, the Council has also carried out different initiatives to promote the image of the industry; that includes a job information platform “Construction JobsNet” and a Resource Centre. The former is a one-stop shop for employers and job seekers for them to respectively find workers and vacancies conveniently. And the Resource Centre is to share with persons of different sectors the history and latest developments of the construction industry,” Mr Lee said.
Led by the MTR Corporation, the two-day Job Fair held at the Fortune Metropolis in Hung Hom is also supported by the Labour Department of the HKSAR Government, the Hong Kong Construction Association (HKCA) and the Hong Kong Federation of Electrical and Mechanical Contractors Limited (HKFEMC). Over 1,500 construction vacancies in 5 different trades of works, from carpenters to works foremen, are being offered by the 18 participating contractors with comprehensive training programmes and attractive remuneration packages. Apart from the young starters, experienced workers who have left the industry are also welcome to rejoin the field.
The MTR Corporation has been working closely with the HKSAR Government and business partners to enhance safety awareness improve the working environment as well as promote the image of the construction industry. Today’s Job Fair is the second organised by the Corporation in 2011. Over 4,500 construction workers are currently employed by the various contractors of building the new railway projects in Hong Kong.