Dr Philemon Choi and Permanent Secretary for Education & Manpower Fanny Law have been appointed to co-chair the Task Force on Continuing Development & Employment-related Training for Youth.

Also appointed were 20 members from different sectors of the community and government departments. All appointments are for two years.

The Chief Executive announced in the 2004 Policy Address that the government had accepted the Commission on Youth's recommendations to set up an inter-disciplinary task force responsible for overseeing the implementation of youth training and employment programmes.

The task force's mission is to co-ordinate training and employment programmes targeted at jobless youths, and administer the $50 million Youth Sustainable Development & Engagement Fund announced in the Policy Address.

The task force will directly identify suitable trial schemes for funding, to foster training, placement and employment opportunities for the unemployed.

The first meeting of the task force will be held on March 25 when terms of reference will be discussed.

Membership

The Task Force comprises:

* Co-chairpersons Dr Philemon Choi & Fanny Law

* Social-welfare sector representatives Jane Tsuei,

Gary Tang and Winnie Ying

* Business-sector representatives Louise Chan, Chan Yun-kan, Joseph Lee and David Pong

* Training and retraining bodies' representatives Dr Lo Kin-ki and Patrick Pang

* Sports sector representative Ho Kim-fai

* Education and academic sector representatives Amy Chan, Prof Tam Man-kwan and Prof Joseph Lau

 * Young people Max Wong and Chan Wai-lam

* Government representatives, including the Home Affairs Bureau, Home Affairs Department, Labour Department, Leisure & Cultural Services Department and Social Welfare Department.