18th Nov., 2002

Employees Retraining Board Honors Vitaland
with Employers Gold Star Award

Hong Kong, 18 November 2002 ---- Vitaland Services Limited (“Vitaland”) was today awarded the “Employers Gold Star Award” by the Employees Retraining Board. The award marks Vitaland’s active participation in employees retraining programmes helping the unemployed to re-enter the job market.

In the past two years, Vitaland has rendered relentless support to the employees retraining programmes organized by the Employees Retraining Board and co-organized with the Board different special training courses to re-train the unemployed and prepare them for working in the retail service sector.

Vitaland’s General Manager Mr. David Kwan said: “All of us at Vitaland are delighted and encouraged to receive the Employers Gold Star Award. We fully support the efforts of the Employees Retraining Board to match employees with jobs, which in turn helps boost the overall employment situation. These joint programmes are win-win solutions to the unemployment problem as besides helping the unemployed find job, they also allow employers to find suitable candidates for their vacancies. That is why we support and have taken the initiative to join the programmes.”

Mr. Kwan said Vitaland and the Employees Retraining Board have had a very pleasant working relationship. The Board has maintained communication and consulted with the Company in planning and fine-tuning the content of the training courses. After the trainees graduated and secured employment, the Board also arranged for employment officers to follow up on their progress and collect their responses with the aim of improving its services.

The Company has in the past two years employed more than 100 participants of those training courses to work as shop in-charge or shop assistant at its school tuck shops.
Acknowledging the performance of the trainees, Mr. Kwan said: “The trainees of the courses hired by us have all performed well. They serve with courtesy and sincerity. Those with outstanding performance are offered promotion opportunities, such as from assistant officer to officer or from shop assistant to shop in-charge, etc.”

Vitaland is committed to serving the community, especially the food and retail industry. It has worked in co-ordination with various social organizations including the Hong Kong Council of Social Services, Christian Action, Hong Kong College of Technology, Caritas Institute for further & Adult Education, New Territories Association Retaining Centre and the SKH Lady MacLehose Centre, etc.

As Vitaland’s business continues to expand, its demand for manpower also increases. The Company thus will continue to support different employees retraining programmes to equip the unemployed for new job opportunities in the community.
Founded in 1991, Vitaland is a wholly owned subsidiary of Vitasoy International Holdings Limited. Its primary business is to operate school tuck shops.

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For more information, please contact:
Stella Lung
Public Relations Manager
Vitasoy International Holdings Limited
Tel: 2468 9644 Fax: 2465 1008
e-mail:pubrel@vitasoy.com