This follows a meeting on employment opportunities among the six business and trade associations co-chaired by Hong Kong Secretary for Economic Development and Labor Stephen Ip and Hong Kong Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology Henry Tang.

Under the scheme, the business and trade associations will callon their member companies to each provide a one-year employment and training program for trainees at a minimum monthly salary of 6,000 HK dollars (769 US dollars).

Companies may join voluntarily according to their own needs, each hiring at least one trainee, with some large-scale companies indicating that they will hire more.

There will be no quota to the maximum number of trainees to be hired and no government funding will be involved.

The scheme, to be co-ordinated by the Hong Kong Labor Department, will be launched in August so that trainees can be in post by September.

The six associations are the Chinese Manufacturers Association,the Hong Kong Chinese Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Hong Kong Industries, the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, the Hong Kong Exporters' Association and the Textile Council of Hong Kong.

(Xinhua News Agency July 27, 2002)