Join labour market Unleash one’s talent
15 July 2018
The results of the Diploma of Secondary Education Examination were released on 11 July. Students faring well have every reason to be happy while seeing the need to keep up the good work. Those who did not get the scores they expected, on the other hand, should never be discouraged or give up. Keep your head up and stay positive. Whether continuing studies or joining the workforce, you need to plan now and choose the education or career paths that fit your goals.
Young graduates from secondary schools and universities may feel lost when finding their way in the labour market. Here are some useful tips and ideas to share with you. First, young adults should view their future from a wider perspective and try out more possible paths, taking into account their interests and abilities and the job entry requirements. Second, they should get a good grasp of the latest local job scene, including the development, characteristics and manpower demand of various industries. Third, parents should allow their children to work out their own career plans.
The Government has endeavoured to promote diversified economic development in order to open up more career choices with prospects for young people in addition to those offered by financial services, trading, logistics and tourism, which are the traditional pillar industries of Hong Kong.
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The engineering sector has a huge demand for manpower and attaches great importance to training. Many local institutions are running training courses in response to the manpower demand and the development needs of Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong International Aviation Academy established by the Airport Authority Hong Kong nurtures local and regional air transport management talent to support the long-term development of the airport and the sustainable growth of the aviation industry. The MTR Academy established by the MTR Corporation Limited trains railway professionals. These two academies offer tailor-made courses for the aviation and railway industries. Many of the courses target secondary school graduates and are recognised under the Qualifications Framework (QF). On completion of the courses, students can pursue careers in the transport and railway industries in Hong Kong and overseas.
Besides, the Towngas Engineering Academy of the Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited, and the CLP Power Academy of the CLP Power Hong Kong Limited offer recognised professional courses for young people who are interested in gas, electrical and engineering work. To train more high-calibre construction practitioners and raise the professional image of the construction industry, the Hong Kong Institute of Construction was set up this year. The institute offers a wide range of construction courses, including diploma courses accredited at QF Level 3, which give students the opportunity to receive professional training and at the same time obtain recognised qualifications in a progressive manner.
The current-term Government is committed to promoting innovation, technology and creative industries as a priority policy to create new growth opportunities, open up room for development and enhance youth upward mobility. In this regard, the Government has earmarked more than $50 billion in this year’s Budget to facilitate innovation and technology development, so that there can be more employment opportunities in the market for the younger generation to unleash their talents.
On the front of arts and culture, young people should pay attention to the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) development project, which is a major investment of the Government in supporting the long-term development of Hong Kong’s arts and culture. With WKCD moving gradually from the planning to the operation phase, the WKCD Authority is stepping up progressively its talent nurturing and professional development efforts in preparation for the opening of various facilities in the coming years.
As the population of Hong Kong ages, the manpower demand in healthcare, elderly and community services will continue to rise, hence providing many new professional and supporting jobs in government and subvented organisations.
For students who aspire to serve the community, joining the civil service is a good choice. Being the largest employer in Hong Kong, the Government currently employs more than 170 000 civil servants, accounting for 4.3% of the total workforce. From civilian staff and technical professionals to disciplined services, a wide range of occupations are included.
In 2018-19, our civil service establishment is expected to expand by 6 700 posts, a record 3.7% year-on-year growth since the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region was established in 1997. The augmented manpower will support the current-term Government in taking forward its various policies and more than 250 new initiatives announced in the Chief Executive’s Policy Address, and also ease the work pressure on civil servants. As “baby boomers” born after the Second World War are hitting retirement age, the number of our civil servant retirees is also reaching its peak. Natural wastage arising from their retirement will go up from the annual average of 3.5% for the five-year period ending 2016-17 to about 4% in the five-year period ending 2021-22.
Projecting a surge of vacancies, the Government is actively recruiting to bring in new blood to keep up the strength of the civil service.
As regards the disciplinary services, recruitment exercises and induction programmes are conducted on a regular basis to meet manpower demands. The Police, for example, plans to recruit 1 850 new members (including 230 Probationary Inspectors and 1 620 Police Constables) and 320 Auxiliary Police Constables in the 2018-19 financial year.
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Three major road infrastructure projects will be completed successively, namely the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link and the Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point. Additional manpower will be needed to operate these control points, on top of the existing ones. It is estimated that the Immigration Department and the Customs and Excise Department will each need to recruit around 1 000 officers in 2018-19.
Appointment to the civil service is based on the principle of open and fair competition. All candidates are assessed on the basis of their ability, performance and character, and having regard to stipulated entry requirements set according to the job requirements of the grade concerned. As an equal opportunity employer, the Government is committed to eliminating all forms of discrimination in employment.
The Government also strives to promote social integration and equal access to job opportunities in the Government for ethnic minorities. Sustained efforts are made by the Civil Service Bureau to review the entry requirements relating to Chinese proficiency for all grades of the civil service to ensure the stipulations are no more than necessary for performing the job. The number of grades that have lowered their Chinese language proficiency requirements since 2010 has increased to 53 in total.
Besides, to ensure equal opportunities for persons with disabilities so as to promote their integration into the community, the Government has provided facilitation measures for persons with disabilities in their application for government posts and given them an appropriate degree of preference for appointment over other candidates.
Opportunity favours the prepared. To young people preparing to join the workforce, I wish you all the best in finding the right path to unleash your talent and forge ahead.
