Only 15 per cent of youngsters who completed a government job training scheme have found work, a survey has found.
The Hong Kong Council of Social Service interviewed 918 participants in the Youth Pre-Employment Programme in January.
The survey also interviewed 77 companies and organisations that offered on-the-job training. About 75 per cent said the youngsters lacked appropriate work experience, 46 per cent said they lacked social skills, and 48 per cent said they lacked job skills.
The pilot programme, launched last September and ending this month, provided 16,000 training vacancies for school-leavers aged 17 to 19.
Its aims were to teach young people leadership, job interview and social skills, computer knowledge and basic pre-job training such as clerical skills.
Dr Choi Yuen-wan, who supervised the survey, said the scope of the course needed to be increased and more flexibility should be offered to non-governmental organisations to tailor-make courses to meet the needs of the market.