| Industries and Vocational Training |
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For those staff who have been working with the Correctional Services Industries (CSI) for years like me, 2009 is definitely a year full of excitements and challenges. As a result of the review on its future development, CSI was reorganised to form a new Industries and Vocational Training (I&VT) Section and subsumed under the Rehabilitation Division in February 2009. The reorganisation not only led to fundamental changes in the roles and functions of industrial operation in the Department, but also made a significant progress in the rehabilitation regime for offenders’ reintegration.
The formation of I&VT Section is a strategic approach to better support the Department in the provision of both quality custodial and comprehensive rehabilitative services. Apart from assisting prison management by engaging prisoners in gainful industrial work, I&VT Section also facilitates offenders’ rehabilitation by providing them with suitable vocational training programmes to strengthen their employability and self-reliance upon discharge.
While the change of CSI into I&VT Section was no doubt a positive and important move to cope with the rapid development in departmental rehabilitation services, the process was not a simple task. It involved intensive planning and comprehensive consultation as well as huge amount of negotiation and documentary work. It also required the most crucial, strong support from the senior management and active participation from staff of all levels. I therefore take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to all my colleagues for their efforts at making this achievement a remarkable one in the year under review. I also look forward to seeing a prosperous I&VT Section with increasing contributions to the operation and development of the Department.
| LO Huen |
| General Manager (Industries & Vocational Training) |
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Since its establishment in 1978, the Correctional Services Industries (CSI) has played a statutory role to provide prisoners with useful work. Assignment of work and labour for prisoners not only contributes to effective prison management, but also serves as a meaningful regime to facilitate their reintegration after release.
To strengthen vocational training for prisoners, the Department conducted a review of the CSI in 2008. The review confirmed that the CSI should continue to play an important role in maintaining prison stability and supporting the safe and humane custody of prisoners. It also indicated that CSI’s role should be strategically adjusted to become more rehabilitation-oriented for enhancing prisoners’ capability and capacity by engaging them in gainful and productive work, as well as providing them with suitable and socially recognised vocational training.
In response to the review results, and with a view to achieving better co-ordination with the provision of suitable rehabilitative services, the Department reorganised the CSI to form a new Industries and Vocational Training (I&VT) Section in February 2009. |
Industries Development
The new I&VT Section continues to provide a wide range of goods and services to the public sector in a cost effective manner. It manages to secure suitable and sufficient work for prisoners and help achieve public savings. In 2009, the total commercial value of goods and services provided was $439 million.
Quality customer service is a key factor to ensure stable supply of work and we have been maintaining close partnership with client departments to develop and improve products and services. In the year under review, we successfully completed the development and started supplying windproof jackets and performance fabric shirts to disciplinary forces of the Government. We have also developed functional uniform with fire-retardant feature and waterproof combat boots with vapor permeable performance for the Correctional Emergency Response Team (CERT) of our Escort and Support Group. Another improvement project was the adoption of light-weight double-mould outsoles in the production of our uniform shoes that enhanced the wearing comfort. We extended our book lamination service to the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Hotel and Tourism Resources Centre of Hong Kong Polytechnic University. We have also taken new orders including printing of quarterly newsletters, information leaflets and annual reports for the Airport Command of Customs and Excise Department.
In the outbreak of Human Swine Influenza in summer 2009, we worked closely with the Government Logistics Department for an increase in the supply of personal protective equipment like filter masks and disposable gowns, and with Hospital Authority for provision of efficient laundry services and building up an emergency stock of essential linen articles to cope with their operational needs. We also contributed in the 2009 East Asian Games held in Hong Kong by supplying temporary road signs and tactile slabs to the Transport and Highways Departments. |
Employment of Prisoners
In 2009, a daily average of 5 419 prisoners were employed in 13 trades in more than 140 industrial workshops. Other prisoners were engaged in essential domestic duties such as cleaning, kitchen and maintenance work. |
Vocational Training Development
Provision of vocational training to offenders has been an important component of our rehabilitation regime. After the setting up of I&VT Section, there was encouraging progress in increasing the element of vocational training in our industries. Apart from the usual technical and commercial vocational training courses, work-related training courses accredited by external authorities were introduced for adult prisoners working in different production trades and domestic parties in various institutions. These included the laundry assistant training courses financed by the Employees Retraining Board, clothing marketing certificate courses organised with the Clothing Industry Training Authority and painting and decoration courses of the Construction Industry Council Training Academy. We also helped skilled prisoners working in our printing and sign-making workshops apply for accreditation with statements of attainment issued by the Vocational Training Council through the Recognition of Prior Learning Scheme under the Hong Kong Qualifications Framework.
In 2009, adult and young offenders attempted a total of 1 360 vocational examination papers and trade tests with an average passing rate of 96.9%.
With the successful experience in organising full-time vocational training courses in Lai Sun Correctional Institution for adult prisoners, we went further to adopt a localisation strategy by setting up training venues in various adult institutions. This initiative will raise the effectiveness of our rehabilitation regime by giving adult prisoners more opportunities to receive market-oriented full-time and part-time vocational training tailor-made to their background and local operating context, and attain external accreditation and recognised qualifications in the course of their production processes in prison workshops. |
Facility Management
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An aged concre te b atching plant at Tai Lam Correctional Institution is replaced to improve production efficiency.
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We actively upgrade production facilities to sustain our competitiveness through the efficient provision of quality products and services. During the year, the aged concrete batching plant at Tai Lam Correctional Institution was replaced to improve production efficiency and working environment. Mechanical-aided lifting devices were employed in their Precast Concrete Workshop to facilitate the efficient handling of heavy kerb products as well as safety enhancement. Advanced welding equipment was introduced to metal workshops for precise process and quality control. At Tuen Mun Hospital Laundry, a new tunnel finisher was installed to increase the capacity of the finishing section. Various types of auto-sewing equipment were also installed in our garment making workshops to enhance production efficiency and product quality.
In keeping with the aforesaid localisation strategy for vocational training of adult prisoners, the Department gradually set up more training venues in various institutions. To name a few, the workshop complex at Pik Uk Prison was renovated to become an “Industries & Vocational Training Building”, with its original carpentry and garment workshops upgraded and training facilities for full-time and part-time vocational courses for adult prisoners added. Venues for intermediate trade tests approved by the Construction Industry Council Training Academy were set up in Ma Po Ping Prison and Pik Uk Prison. Venues approved by the Employees Retraining Board for the certificate in environmental hygiene and cleaning worker training were also set up in Hei Ling Chau Addiction Treatment Centre and Tong Fuk Centre. |
Quality Management
In 2009, the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency (HKQAA) conducted Conversion Surveillance Visits to the two Sign Making Workshops and four Commercial Laundries and all of them were successfully accredited with ISO9001:2008 certificates. The Federation of Hong Kong Industries also conducted audits on the Q-Mark certified Filter Mask Workshops at Chi Sun Correctional Institution and Lai Chi Kok Correctional Institution. |
Information Technology
Information technology has been widely adopted in the I&VT Section to enhance operational efficiency and to facilitate learning.
In 2009, we started the enhancement project for our Manufacturing Management and Control System (MMCS). An e-ordering module would be incorporated to improve efficiency and enhance our customer services. A folder with information on the latest development of the Section and useful work-related information was uploaded onto the departmental intranet for sharing by staff and standardisation of practices. In the provision of laundry services, bar-code labels were fixed onto uniform items for control and tracking throughout the processes. |
Staff Training and Development
We seek to enrich and upgrade the technical knowledge of our staff in professional industrial operations, and to enhance their competence in organising and delivering vocational training.
During the year, 745 staff of I&VT Section attended 88 training and development programmes organised by the Department, Civil Service Training and Development Institute, HKU School of Continuing and Professional Education and other training providers. Apart from contemporary production and quality management, these programmes covered teaching and vocational training skills as well as basic knowledge related to occupational safety and health. Visits to factories with modernised production facilities, and overseas counterparts were also arranged for benchmarking good practices.
Train-the-trainer programmes were organised for our technical staff in enhancing their competence in classroom teaching and presentation skills. Our Technical Instructors started in May 2009 to teach the certificate course of “Clothing Marketing” for prisoners in various institutions. |
Occupational Safety and Health (OSH)
In accordance with the ‘Code of Practice on Safety Management’ by the OSH Council, the Departmental OSH Steering Committee continued its leading and coordinating role to promote the provision of correctional services in a decent, healthy and safe manner.
As usual, we conducted regular safety committee meetings, risk assessments, safety reviews and seminars for continual improvement of work environment as well as participated in the annual OSH Quiz for enhancing relevant knowledge. In September, our departmental team outperformed the 193 teams from other organisations and won the first runner up of the OSH Quiz 2009 organised by the Occupational Safety and health Council. A holistic review was conducted this year among all institutions to identify the needs of appropriate protective equipment for prisoners in different work posts as a measure to reinforce the control for safe operations in all workplaces. Exemplary risk assessments and safety review reports were uploaded to the departmental intranet for promotion of OSH awareness as well as knowledge sharing among staff members. |
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