No. ERB is a statutory body established in 1992 under the Employees Retraining Ordinance.
The operation of ERB is funded by the Employees Retraining Fund (ERF). To provide ERB with long-term funding support, the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council approved the injection of a sum of $15 billion into the ERF on 24 January 2014 to provide stable and sustainable financial support to allow ERB to plan on a long-term horizon. In June 2020, the SAR Government injected HK$2.5 billion into the ERF to meet the anticipated financial commitment arising from the increase in the maximum amount of monthly allowance and the launch of the “Love Upgrading Special Scheme” from October 2019 to December 2022.
The service targets of ERB are eligible employees of Hong Kong aged 15 or above. Eligible employees are lawfully employable and not subject to conditions of stay, including Hong Kong permanent residents and new arrivals.
Persons with disabilities, single parents or Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients may request for priority handling of course applications by providing valid supporting documents substantiating their status.
Placement-tied courses tailored for the unemployed are provided free of charge by ERB. Non-placement-tied courses including generic skills courses and skills upgrading courses are fee-charging and fees payable are based on the amounts stipulated at the time of application. Eligible trainees can apply for course fee waiver or fee subsidies. For details, please refer to the Application Guidelines in the Course Prospectus.
Trainees attending placement-tied courses with duration of seven days or more and fulfilling the stipulated eligibility criteria, can apply for retraining allowance through the Training Bodies concerned. Trainees are eligible for retraining allowance once per year at most.
Normally four to six weeks upon the completion of the concerned course.
Upon receipt of enrolment notification by Training Bodies, trainees should submit applications for course fee waiver or fee subsidies to the concerned Training Bodies prior to class commencement. Trainees are required to retain the income proof(s) related to the concerned course enrolment (three fiscal years) for income surveillance by ERB. For details, please refer to the Application Guidelines in the Course Prospectus.
As per the entry requirements of individual courses, applicants may be required to attend interviews and / or entry tests. Upon passing the assessments concerned, Training Bodies will issue admission notices to successful applicants, and notify them of details of course commencement once sufficient number of trainees are available.
The applicant should apply for cancellation of course enrolment in person or in writing to the concerned Training Body, no less than three working days prior to the course commencement date. Late cancellation will not be accepted.
In the event that a trainee is unable to attend a course or attain 60% attendance on grounds of illness, accident or other special circumstances, trainee may submit application to ERB through the concerned Training Body, and provide supporting documents, e.g. medical certificates issued by Hong Kong registered medical practitioner, for waiver of penalty for low attendance.
Training and employment support services provided by ERB include training consultancy service, “ERB Service Centre”, “ERB Service Spots”, “ERB Training Net” Course Search Terminals, as well as the “Smart Living” and “Smart Baby Care” household services referral platform.
As the district-based service windows of ERB, the “ERB Service Centre” and “ERB Service Spots” provide support services for individuals with training and employment needs, including enquiry and enrolment services for ERB courses, workshops and seminars, and training consultancy service, etc.
“Smart Living” Scheme and “Smart Baby Care” Scheme administered by ERB are one-stop referral platforms for domestic, post-natal care as well as infant and child care services, with a view to assisting graduate trainees of related courses to establish household employer network and enhance employment opportunities.
The PSTAC of ERB is a centralised practical assessment centre. It assures the quality of graduate trainees through a fair, just and transparent mechanism of standardised practical assessments, so as to enhance public recognition of trainees' skill level. The PSTAC administers practical assessments of 16 training courses. Graduates passing the assessments will be awarded graduation certificates, while for graduates of the “Foundation Certificate in Domestic Helper Training” course having passed the standardised practical assessments, will be issued a “Competency Card” together with a graduation certificate.
ERB welcomes suggestions on its training services. Suggestions can be sent by email to erbhk@erb.org / css@erb.org, by fax to (852) 2369 8322 or by mail to 3/F to 6/F, 10 Siu Sai Wan Road, Chai Wan, Hong Kong. Members of the public may also call the ERB Hotline at (852) 182 182.
Information on ERB’s training courses are listed in the Course Prospectus published in April each year. Members of the public may also refer to ERB website www.erb.org or call the ERB Hotline at (852) 182 182.
Members of the public can also visit the “My ERB” Facebook Fan Page, “Captain K” Instagram（IG）Channel, ERB YouTube Channel, and ERB LinkedIn Channel or subscribe the “LOOK@erb” newsletter to obtain latest information of ERB.
Placement-tied courses are generally offered in full-time mode to support the unemployed in acquiring industry-specific vocational skills. The courses also include training on personal attributes and job search skills, which aim at enabling trainees to strengthen their interpersonal skills and enhance their employment opportunities. Trainees with an attainment of at least 80% attendance rate are provided with a 3-6 month placement follow-up services by Training Bodies to help trainees enter the job market.
Placement-tied courses are offered free of charge. Trainees attending placement-tied courses with duration of seven days or more and fulfilling the stipulated eligibility criteria, can apply for retraining allowance. For details on the eligibility criteria and the amounts of retraining allowance, please refer to the latest issue of Course Prospectus or consult the Training Bodies concerned.
Skills upgrading courses are part-time non-placement-tied courses provided to eligible clientele including the unemployed and in-service workers. Vocational training straddling different industries is provided with the aim of enhancing the skills competency of practitioners and fostering their attainment of multi-dimensional skills. Non-practitioners may also enrol in individual courses which provide basic knowledge of the industries. These courses aim to broaden their employment opportunities through training and facilitate their job mobility.
Non-placement-tied courses are fee-charging and fees payable are based on the amounts stipulated at the time of application. Applicants with nil income or monthly income at or below $14,000 can apply for course fee waiver. Applicants with monthly income higher than $14,000 can apply for course fee subsidies. "Highly Subsidised Fee" and "Normal Subsidised Fee" of individual courses will be payable respectively by applicants with monthly income between $14,001 and $22,000 and those with monthly income above $22,000.
Generic skills courses are part-time non-placement-tied courses. Training of transferable skills applicable in different industries including foundation skills (English, Putonghua, and IT Applications) and personal attributes is provided to eligible clientele including the unemployed and in-service workers. To assist trainees to acquire recognised qualifications and enhance their competitiveness, preparatory course for language proficiency test is also offered under this course category.
Non-placement-tied courses are fee-charging and fees payable are based on the amounts stipulated at the time of application. Applicants with nil income or monthly income at or below $14,000 can apply for course fee waiver. Applicants with monthly income higher than $14,000 can apply for course fee subsidies. "Highly Subsidised Fee" and "Normal Subsidised Fee" of individual courses will be payable respectively by applicants with monthly income between $14,001 and $22,000 and those with monthly income above $22,000.
Dedicated courses are provided for the youth and specific service targets including new arrivals, persons with disabilities and persons recovered from work injuries, ethnic minorities, rehabilitated ex-drug abusers and ex-offenders, cater for their training and employment needs. These courses cover vocational and professional education and training, generic skills training and career planning.
A variety of training options are offered for young people including the “Youth Training Programme” and youth featured courses.
The “Youth Training Programme”, which covers placement-tied courses offered in full-time mode, is tailored for the non-engaged youth aged between 15 and 29, with educational attainment at secondary school level or below. The programme aims to rekindle their desire to learn and study, and motivate them for future study and career planning.
In addition, ERB offers featured courses for the youth, including full-time placement-tied and part-time courses. These courses aim to offer a wide variety of training options and map out the progression ladder for young people.
ERB also serves to provide vocational skills training for trainees of the “Youth Employment and Training Programme” (YETP) of the Labour Department. YETP trainees may enrol in a variety of ERB training courses* including the Youth Training Courses through Career Advisors of the YETP. The Labour Department will provide Career Development Services and relevant follow-up services to YETP trainees.
* Placement follow-up service and retraining allowance for regular ERB placement-tied courses are not applicable to YETP trainees. For details of training allowance provided by the YETP, please click to visit YETP's website.
“Hire and Train” Scheme aims to encourage potential workforce to stay in employment through provision of flexible work arrangements and on-the-job training, and assist in alleviating manpower shortage in the employment market. Participating employers will provide job vacancies and suitably modify the working hours and leave arrangements to cater for the family commitments of trainees. The employers will also provide on-the-job training and other related support measures to encourage trainees to stay in employment. Appointed Training Bodies of ERB will assist in the recruitment of trainees and provide designated training courses for the hired trainees during working hours so that the trainees will be able to master relevant skills required in their daily duties.
“Modular Certificates Accumulation Scheme” encourages members of the public (including females and homemakers) who are not able to take training courses of ERB offered in full-time mode owing to their family roles to make flexible study arrangement and acquire recognised qualifications; and to help mobilise the potential of labour force. Under the “Scheme”, upon successful completion of a number of specified half-day or evening courses, trainees may apply for a certificate bearing a qualification equivalent to a designated full-time course from a Training Body offering the last half-day or evening course on the list. Courses currently covered under the “Scheme” include “Foundation Certificate in Post-natal Care Worker Training”, “Foundation Certificate in Care Worker Training”, “Foundation Certificate in Infant and Child Care Worker Training”, “Foundation Certificate in Occupational Therapy Assistant Training”, “Foundation Certificate in Physiotherapist Assistant Training”, “Foundation Certificate in Care-related Support Worker Training” and “Certificate in Property Services” courses.
Appointed Training Bodies of ERB offer placement follow-up services to all trainees who have completed full-time placement-tied courses with an attainment of at least 80% attendance rate, to help trainees enter the job market.
Since placement-tied courses are tailored for the unemployed, Training Bodies will provide trainees who have completed the courses with placement follow-up service. Half-day and evening courses, including the skills upgrading courses and generic skills courses, are not tailored for the unemployed, hence no placement follow-up service will be provided.
Appointed Training Bodies of ERB provide placement follow-up services to all trainees who completed the full-time placement-tied courses with an attainment of at least 80%. Employers who are interested to recruit ERB trainees can contact the placement officers of the Training Bodies for referral services free of charge. Placement officers of Training Bodies will follow-up and refer suitable candidates who possess the required work experience and skills level to employers.
The referral service provided by the appointed Training Bodies of ERB to employers for recruiting ERB trainees is free of charge.
Employers that offer 12 or more vacancies in a particular position which requires special skill sets not covered in the placement-tied courses of ERB can apply for the “Tailor-made Programme”. ERB will provide recruitment, pre-employment training and placement follow-up services to the employers under the programme.
Employers who are interested to recruit ERB trainees can complete the Vacancy Registration Form which can be downloaded from the ERB website, and return it by fax to ERB or the concerned Training Bodies. Employers can also contact us at the ERB Hotline (852) 182 182.
Employers can register as users of the ERB “Online Employment Service Platform” and upload vacancies to the platform for searching and viewing by registered trainees and Training Bodies, as well as to search for courses to be completed so as to expand recruitment channels. The service is free of charge.
