Winners of the Employees Retraining Board outstanding retrainees award (clockwise from bottom left) Kwok Kin-fai, Lun Kong, Lee Chun-chiu, Lok Chui-hong, Liu Wah-yee, Chan Yun-lung, Ng Mei-chun and Liu Sheng.
Mr Lee, 66, an estate management officer, said retraining had given him a new lease of life and landed him a string of personal awards.
He had been a clerk for decades when he was forced to retire due to his age in February last year.
Three months later he joined the estate management officer retraining course offered by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service and later found work at Heng Fa Chuen.
Although he had to take a two-thirds pay cut and work longer hours, Mr Lee said he was glad to have received retraining.
'During my time as a storehouse clerk, I came across the same set of individuals and numbers everyday and became isolated from the outside world,' he said. 'Retraining has helped me to know more about society.' Mr Lee said he hoped to work until his body told him to stop.
