Encouraging Employment

135.    Economic growth is mainly contingent on the working population and its productivity.  Encouraging more women and older persons to join the workforce will help boost our economic growth.

136.    I shall allocate $130 million to strengthen child care services, thus providing support for women to achieve a work-family balance.  This year, we shall extend the coverage of on-the-job training allowance under the Employment Programme for the Middle-aged to encourage the employment of older persons to take up part-time jobs.  The Employees Retraining Board will also focus on providing training for older persons, among other target groups, and help them re-join the job market.

137.    I shall earmark $220 million to extend for two years the Integrated Employment Assistance Programme for Self-reliance, which encourages employable able-bodied CSSA recipients to secure employment and achieve self-reliance.

138.    The Labour Department will also continue to employ, on a trial basis, ethnic minority trainees under the Youth Employment and Training Programme as employment services ambassadors to provide employment services to other ethnic minority job seekers.

139.    I encourage employers to introduce more flexible working arrangements.  I hope they would allow employees to work from home, or offer part-time and job sharing alternatives, to enable more people with family commitments to join the workforce.