Training Service for the General Public

Services Concerned

1. The Policy, Research andTraining Divisionof the EOC offers two series of training to the general public, namely calendar training and customised training courses in order to provide training on equal opportunities legislation and the related management strategy.

Existing Measures

• Medium used at the training courses
  • Under the calendar training programme, EOC organises two series each year during the spring and autumn. Free Cantonese and English training courses are offered in both series to ensure that both Cantonese and non-Cantonese speaking people can participate in our training courses without language barrier.
  • Under the customised training, Cantonese and English training courses are provided upon request from organisations.
• Content of the training courses
  • The concept of racial equality, culturally inclusive workplace and major unlawful acts under the RDO are covered by existing calendar training and customised training courses when appropriate to promote racial equality.
• Access to the training services
  • All the information and enrolment details can be accessed at the EOC’s website in both Chinese and English.
  • Enrolment form in Chinese and English is available at the EOC’s website.

Assessment of Future Work

1. Content of the training courses relating to racial equality will continue to be reviewed by trainers in both training series every year.

Training Service for People of Diverse Race

Services Concerned

1. The Ethnic Minorities Unit (the “Unit”)of the EOC actively reaches out to racial groups to identify training needs on the anti-discrimination protection and assess their language needs.

Existing Measures

• Training programmes for different racial groups will be provided when necessary and practicable through:
  • Direct service delivery by staff members proficient in the required languages of the groups
  • Referral for interpretation and/or translation services by external service providers
  • Collaboration with NGOs, racial groups or consulate offices with the required language support

Assessment of Future Work

1. Feedback from diverse racial groups on the training service provided will be collected in the Unit’s outreach activities and regular meetings with racial community leaders.

Additional Measures Taken/To Be Taken

1. Trainings and educational materials in other languages are provided for racial groups.
2. Language support strategy will be regularly reviewed in accordance to feedback collected from ongoing community engagement exercise with different racial groups.

Provision of Appropriate Language Services to Service Users in Need

Services Concerned

1. The EOC is committed to adopting proactive and practical approach to ensure equal access to its services by people of diverse race. To facilitate communication with service users who are unable to read or communicate in Chinese/English, appropriate language services will be provided.

Existing Measures

1. Information leaflets on the four discrimination ordinances implemented by the EOC and other related information are provided in eight languages other than English and Chinese: Bahasa Indonesia, Hindi, Nepali, Punjabi, Tagalog, Thai, Urdu and Vietnamese.  These leaflets are obtainableat the EOC’s Office or can be downloaded from the EOC’s website. Promotion materials are translated into languages other than Chinese and English when necessary and practicable.

Assessment of Future Work

1. Feedback on the effectiveness of language support provided to service users of different races will be solicited for continuous review and improvement.
2. Numbers of requests for translation and interpretation service and the serviceprovided will be reviewed regularly to ascertain future service needs and planning of resources required.

Additional Measures Taken/To Be Taken

1. To widen the dissemination of information to other growing racial groups, such as Bangladeshis and Sri Lankans, information leaflets will be translated and made available for them in person or from the EOC’s website.
2. To increase the awareness of the availability of free Interpretation/Translation services in different languages other than English and Chinese, conspicuous notice / poster has been put on display in EOC’s Lobby and will be put on EOC’s websiteas appropriate.
3. Frontline staff are encouraged to proactively introduce EOC’s language service to service users. To further facilitate communication with EOC’s service users who do not speak English/Chinese, specialised AI Translator Earbuds, which supports 36 languages, has been made availablefor useas necessary.
4. Numbers of requests for translation and interpretation service are collected for service and resources reviews.
5. EOC’s Personal Information Collection Statement and Privacy Policy Statement available from EOC’s website has been translated into ten languages other than English and Chinese: Bahasa Indonesia, Bengali, Hindi, Nepali, Punjabi, Sinhala, Tagalog, Thai, Urdu and Vietnamese.
6. Work procedures for arranging Interpretation/Translation services will be drawn up to ensure all staff, especially frontline staff, are aware of, so as to ensure effective service delivery.