Skills Assessment
  | ObjectivesEstablished in October 2002 by the Employees Retraining Board ("ERB"), the Practical Skills Training and Assessment Centre ("PSTAC") was a centre for standardized skills assessments for graduates from the Certificate in Local Domestic Helper Training. Subsequently, the PSTAC has organized assessment services for the following courses:
As a centralized assessment centre, the PSTAC aims to ensure a standardized quality of training courses through a fair, just and transparent mechanism of assessment so as to enhance public recognition of the graduates' skills as well as their employment opportunities. Graduates from the Certificate in Local Domestic Helper Training who have passed the assessments of the required level of skills will be issued a “Competency Card” together with a graduation certificate. For those who have passed the assessments of other courses, graduation certificates will be issued. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | Location of the PSTACThe PSTAC is located in Trade Square, Cheung Sha Wan and the details of which are set out below:
Apart from the PSTAC in Cheung Sha Wan, ERB has also designated 9 Local Domestic Helper Assessment Centres, 2 Personal Care Worker Assessment Centres, 1 Elderly Home Care Worker Assessment Centre and 2 Post-natal Care Worker Assessment Centres. The assessments of trainees from the above courses will also be held in such designated assessment centres. Designated Local Domestic Helper Assessment Centres
Designated Personal Care Worker Assessment Centres
Designated Elderly Home Care Worker Assessment Centre
Designated Post-natal Care Worker Assessment Centres
Standardized Assessment Areas of Practical Skills
Types of Trainees under AssessmentTrainees who take the Local Domestic Helper skills assessments can be categorized into three types in general:
All trainees who take other skills assessments are graduates from standardized courses of ERB. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | FeeStandardized skills assessments and re-assessments for graduates from standardized training courses are free of charge. Administrative Arrangements of Standardized Assessments Standardized Assessments will normally be scheduled in about two weeks from course completion.
The exact date and time of assessment will be confirmed with individual trainees before course completion via the respective training bodies. If any candidate is unable to attend the assessment on the date and/or at the time as scheduled, he/she should inform the corresponding training body as soon as practicable, providing a valid reason, prior to the scheduled assessment so as to reschedule the time and date of assessment. Should a candidate fail to show up without giving prior notice to the corresponding training body, he/she will be regarded as having quit. Neither graduation certificate nor competency card will be issued to him/her. Candidates, dressed in appropriate costume, must arrive on time at the assessment centers as scheduled and report to the duty officer for registration upon arrival. For details, please click here to download the Nationwide Occupational Qualification Assessment for Massage for HealthcareOn 7th May 2007, ERB entered into a cooperation agreement with the Occupational Skill Testing Authority of Guangdong (the “OSTAG”) to launch a pilot scheme of cooperation in Hong Kong on the National Occupational Qualification Assessment for Massage for Healthcare and the Occupational Qualification Certificate. This scheme provides the graduates from the Certificate in Massage for Healthcare or relevant massage courses of ERB with one-stop service from training, employment seeking and helping them to acquire professional qualifications in the Chinese mainland. Its purpose is to enhance the employment opportunities of our massage course graduates by means of a wider professional recognition. Under the cooperation agreement, ERB graduates will be able to attend the National Occupational Qualification Assessment and obtain an occupational qualification recognized throughout the country without traveling to the Chinese mainland. They will be assessed in a familiar environment that is conducive to their performance. More importantly, this qualification will serve as a benchmark of their professional skills and enhance their room for employment in Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland. The National Occupational Qualification Certificate System is an integral part of the labour and employment system in the PRC. Under this unique national examination system, assessment bodies appointed by the government will evaluate and assess the skills and qualifications of candidates in an objective, fair, scientific way based on the relevant criteria set by the State. Any candidate securing a pass will be awarded a National Occupational Qualification Certificate, an evidence of one’s knowledge and skills required in a particular field. In the Chinese mainland, the National Occupational QualificationCertificate serves as the qualification evidence of job seekers, employees and business owners and the main reference of employers. It is also a validation of skills for overseas employment and foreign labour cooperation. The Occupational Qualification Certificates are classified into five levels, namely, Low Skill (National Occupational Qualification Level 5), Medium Skill (National Occupational Qualification Level 4), Senior Skill (National Occupational Qualification Level 3), Technicians (National Occupational Qualification Level 2) and Senior Technicians (National Occupational Qualification Level 1). The National Occupational Qualification Certificate is a must for people in Hong Kong who would like to seek a job or set up a business in a particular field in the Chinese mainland. No matter at home or aboard, it confers its holder with enhanced competitive strengths and professional recognition. The first assessment was held at the PSTAC on 22nd and 23rd June 2007. Candidates performed well at the written and practical tests conducted by professional assessors, and were all awarded passing grades for meeting the prescribed standard. In appreciation of the support and assistance rendered by the OSTAG and other training bodies, and as a recognition of the outstanding performance and achievement of all graduates, the first certification presentation ceremony was held on 1st August 2007 in the presence of Mr. Zhou Guotian, director of the OSTAG, and other ERB committee members. In response to market demands, ERB is now in active negotiations with the OSTAG to introduce a diverse range of vocational skill assessments for other trainees as and when appropriate. |
