Author: Raymond, Cheung Wai Man
Class: 5A
Topic: You are a veteran social worker who has worked in Sham Shui Po district for many years. You would like to raise the awareness of the general public on poverty among jobless people. Write a letter to the editor of the Hong Kong Post outlining how you see the problem and give some solutions from at least two perspectives.
Dear Editor,
Hong Kong — one of the most affluent cities in the world has about 1.35 million of its citizens are officially poor. Doesn’t it sound ironic? As a Hong Kong citizen, it is our duty to get to the crux of this deteriorating problem and uproot it promptly.
First and foremost, seeking a job is a challenging task. Even though most jobless people are willing and able to work, they still don’t get a job. Why? It is because Hong Kong has a knowledge-based economy. We mainly provide services instead of manufacturing. Causing most of the jobs require their employees to have professional qualifications and communication strategies. However, most of the jobless people have low-education level and they can’t meet the requirement of a company. Jobless people have no income and they must tighten their belt so as to reduce the expense of the family.
Added to the above is the advancement of technology and globalization. It is not a rare sight that a lot of companies will set up their own Facebook webpage and Instagram account. Business in Hong Kong, nowadays, is technology-friendly. It is a must that every employee should know how to use a computer and master different computer software and apps. With the up rise of globalization, technology is being used more and more frequently since it can foster international communication and ensure efficiency at work. The use of technology actually hinders jobless people from getting a job. The applicants not only need to have the certificate for university graduation but also multiple soft skills.
Though poverty among jobless people seems insurmountable, it is a high time that we hurdle this acute problem with the help of the government and the effort of jobless people.
To tackle the enormous problem, the government should take the initiative. More skill training programs and grants should be provided for jobless people. They need to acquire professional qualification for getting a job. For example, if they can use the grants and pursuit a bachelor degree for business administration, these jobless people can apply for the job in a bank or business sectors. More skill training can also equip the jobless people to meet the basic requirement of getting a job and be employed as soon as possible.
For the jobless people, they should not give up any chances of being employed. Hong Kong has different kinds of jobs and companies you can always find a job if you don’t mind starting from scrape, never ever forget to keep obtaining new knowledge, especially for languages and technology. Also, Hong Kong is just a small city. You can find any job in the global labor market. As an old adage goes, ‘money doesn’t grow on tree’, seize every opportunity for getting a job and eliminate the poverty problem with our own hands.
To conclude, poverty among jobless people is a stumbling rock, but once we approach to the root of the problem and eliminate the underlying problems, poverty is definitely surmountable.
Yours faithfully
Chris Wong
