Hong Kong’s Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun has sought to allay concerns that a plan to expand the services of the Employees Retraining Board to include elderly care training by foreign domestic workers will not divert funds meant for the local workforce.
Some lawmakers have expressed concern that local workers could be put at
a disadvantage if funds from the Employees Retraining Board (ERB) would be used
for retraining FDHs.
Secretary Sun said in interviews on Tuesday that the ERB’s focus will “undoubtedly
remain on the local workforce.”
But he said the planned expansion of ERB’s services is necessary, amid
Hong Kong’s rapidly ageing population and the growing demand from locals for
FDHs to receive elderly-care training.
With tens of thousands of FDHs already providing elderly care, the
current program run by the Social Welfare Department that provides them training
is no longer adequate, said Sun.
His assurance comes in the wake of the Labour and Welfare Bureau’s announcement
that it plans to amend the law to allow the ERB to expand its services.
In a recent interview, ERB Executive Director Byron Ng said that
following the Board’s relocation to new headquarters in Kowloon Bay, it will
enhance support in career planning, skills training and employment assistance.
The board also plans to turn certain courses into shorter, more flexible
“micro courses” to conform to trainees’ needs.
Ng said the board’s financial position remains stable, and that it will continue to be prudent in handling its resources.
