The Labour Department (LD) will hold a large-scale job fair at MacPherson Stadium in Mong Kok on September 26 and 27 to provide a large number of vacancies from the residential care home service industry for job seekers.

     About 30 organisations will participate in the two-day job fair and offer over 1 100 quality job vacancies from the residential care home service industry. Participating organisations will set up booths and conduct recruitment on the spot each day. A wide variety of positions will be offered, including care worker, speech therapist, occupational therapist, social worker, nurse, health worker, driver, cook, programme assistant and clerk. Job seekers can visit the LD's Interactive Employment Service website (www.jobs.gov.hk) for more details of the vacancies.

     Around 97 per cent of the vacancies offered at the job fair are full-time jobs. Most vacancies offer monthly salaries ranging from $14,000 to $26,000. About 87 per cent of the vacancies require a Secondary Five education level or below. Around 77 per cent are open to job seekers without relevant work experience.

     Job seekers can submit job applications during the event and may be selected for on-the-spot interviews. They can also make enquiries on the employment services provided by the LD at its counter inside the venue.

     The job fair will be held from 11am to 5.30pm at 1/F, MacPherson Stadium, 38 Nelson Street, Mong Kok (near Mong Kok MTR Station Exit E2). Admission is free, with final admission time at 5pm each day.

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Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:
 
     Here is an item of interest to swimmers.
 
     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (September 23) that according to the Beach Water Quality Forecast System of the Environmental Protection Department (www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/water/beach_quality/forecast_system.html), the Beach Water Quality Forecast Index for Big Wave Bay Beach in Southern District, Hong Kong Island, and Clear Water Bay Second Beach in Sai Kung District is 4, which means the predicted water quality at these beaches is "Very Poor" due to potential transient water quality fluctuations caused by heavy rain. Red flags have been hoisted, and beachgoers are advised not to enter the water to safeguard their health.

     The Digital Policy Office (DPO) released today (September 23) a consultation paper on the future arrangements for the Standing Offer Agreement for Quality Professional Services (SOA-QPS). Practitioners of the information technology (IT) industry are welcome to offer their views.

     The SOA-QPS5 in use will expire in early 2026. The DPO today launched the consultation on improvements to the current arrangements to, among others, strengthen the regulation and monitoring procedures of contractors' performance by taking into account contractors' performance in contracts awarded under the previous round of SOA-QPS and outside the SOA-QPS scheme.

     Other proposals put forward by the DPO include introducing a new category for IT systems that adopt diverse secure and reliable technologies, raising the upper limit of the contract value for individual projects, and raising the demarcation limit of contract value for minor and major groups.

     Since its initial launch in 2005, the SOA-QPS scheme has long been an effective means of addressing the Government's large demand for IT professional services. The scheme also provides promising business prospects for the IT industry and helps bring innovative and creative IT services to government departments.

     The SOA-QPS scheme involves a two-stage bidding process. In the first stage, the Government enters into Standing Offer Agreements (SOAs) with a certain number of suppliers (SOA Contractors) selected through open tendering. During the second stage within the validity period of the SOAs, government bureaux and departments (B/Ds) invite technical and price proposals for individual IT projects from the SOA Contractors. B/Ds will award a service contract to the contractor whose proposal meets the technical requirements and attains the highest combined score according to the marking scheme. As of August 31, 2024, 1 696 services contracts were awarded under the current SOA-QPS5, with an accumulated contract value about HK$2,685 million.

     The consultation paper can be downloaded from the DPO website (www.digitalpolicy.gov.hk/en/news/consultations/). Interested parties may refer to the consultation paper for details and forward their comments and suggestions by email (qps_consultation@digitalpolicy.gov.hk) on or before October 22, 2024. An online briefing session will be held by the DPO on October 8, 2024, with details available on the above website.

     The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, arrived in Madrid, Spain, yesterday (September 22, Madrid time) and began his visit.

     Mr Chan led a group of local tech startups to visit Spain's innovation organisation, Spain Startup and meet with its President, Ms Maria Benjumea, and representatives from its partner, IE University of Spain. Spain Startup is the organiser of the renowned innovation and entrepreneurship event South Summit, which has been running since 2012, bringing together startups, tech talents, investors and entrepreneurs from around the world. Through a variety of programmes, including startup competitions, networking events, and workshops, it offers startups opportunities to build global networks, exchange knowledge, and connect with investors. The South Summit event has now expanded to Brazil.

     Spain Startup has indicated that it is actively considering organising an Asian version of the South Summit. Mr Chan said Hong Kong welcomes the event to be hosted in Hong Kong to attract startups and investors from the Mainland, particularly the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, as well as the broader Asian region, and he will instruct relevant departments to follow up actively.

     Also joining the innovation and technology delegation on the visit to Europe are the Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, Mr Albert Wong, and the Chief Public Mission Officer of Cyberport, Mr Eric Chan.

     Mr Chan will continue his visit in Madrid today (September 23, Madrid time).

    

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The spokesman for the United Christian Hospital made the following update today (September 23) regarding a patient leaving the hospital without notification earlier:

     The 80-year-old male patient with dementia who left the hospital without notification last night (September 22) was located by the Police.