Family Life Education Series
Our teenage children in the 21st Century
Youth Dropouts: School & Employment (Part II)

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This article is a continuation of discussion on the subject matter provided by Dr Cheng Chi Ho, Assistant Professor of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Following our previous article published last month on this issue, the question we're asking is: Is the existing post-secondary education helpful to our school dropouts? What options do they have, besides formal education?

As the Organisation of Economic Co-operation & Development (OECD) Committee has pointed out, youth dropouts seem to be a global and complicated problem. To deal with the problem, our educational system has to change accordingly. We should equip our youth with general, technical and vocational training. For the youth who do not make to university, they can attend other educational programmes, such as Project Yi Jin, diploma courses, and associate degree courses offered by universities and colleges.

Project Yi Jin is mainly for youth aged 21 and above. Upon completion of the programme, they are considered as having passed five subjects in the Hong Kong Certificate of Entrance Examination and they can continue to pursue post-secondary studies.

Other than academic achievements, the system also provides opportunities for youth who have left school for the job market. Vocational training schemes, namely the Youth Pre-employment Training Programme and the Youth Work Experience & Training Scheme, are two examples.

Since 1999, the Youth Pre-employment Training Programme has been focusing on providing those aged 15 to 19 with training courses , placement training and on-the-job training. In three years' time, a total of 28,000 training vacancies have been provided and half of the trainees have found employment.

The scheme also provides training of life-skills, such as setting realistic goals for employment, self-discipline, self-understanding and interpersonal relationship. Through the training, the trainees are better equipped to take up employment with confidence. The contribution of this scheme has been recognised worldwide.

The "Youth Work Experience & Training Scheme" is another similar training programme that provides vocational training for youth aged 15 to 24. The mid-term report of the programme has revealed that 18,000 youths have benefited from the programme, and over 3,000 small and medium sized companies have provided 14,450 jobs, easing the unemployment problem of this population to some extent.

These two programmes also provide pre-employment training and career guidance to the youth, and enhance their employability. The government is taking a pro-active role in this respect, while social workers, especially youth workers, are playing a positive role model for them, providing them with a caring and safe environment for job-search, and launching their first step in life.

(From PS & SR Branch Welfare Services Group)