The first batch of people who enrolled in the Labour Affairs Bureau’s (DSAL) program for subsidized training have started training sessions this week.
This initial group of 340 people will be the first to undergo the special vocational training program organized by the DSAL in response to the large number of workers who have been laid off or made to take unpaid leave for an undefined period of time.
The DSAL previously advised that the restrictions imposed to contain the Covid-19 outbreak stopped the usual influx of tourists. As many local workers may have to seek alternative employment, this program provides the opportunity to assist with such a career change.
For the time being, the courses being held are focused on hygiene and safety and quality control, but the DSAL already announced that this month, other courses will open with a greater capacity of up to 1,000 vacancies.
In a statement, the Bureau also noted that through these courses, “the government hopes that it will be able to help affected workers to increase their professional skills in a short period and quickly integrate them into jobs of a technical nature to alleviate economic pressure caused by the epidemic.”
The trainees undergoing the first phase of the subsidized courses are mainly those who became unemployed due to the epidemic, such as former tourist guides, taxi drivers and tour bus drivers, as well as other workers in the transport and convention and exhibition sectors. Trainees will receive a training allowance of up to 6,656 patacas after completing the program.
According to the DSAL, the first sessions ran smoothly and in accordance with a series of guidelines designed to avoid the transmission of Covid-19. The registered attendance rate was 92%.
After the courses, the DSAL will also provide the trainees with job-matching sessions and career-routing, which will direct the workers to jobs where there is a current need for manpower.
The DSAL has received requests from large entertainment companies to fill around 2,600 roles. The companies are seeking cleaners, waiters, receptionists, security staff, cooks, and maintenance and repairing staff, among others.
The DSAL also noted that the construction sector has a growing capacity to employ a large number of people, including those whose employment has been affected by Covid-19, due to the government’s reinforcement of investment in public works.
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