Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of four large international trade fairs: HOFEX2023, ProWine, Retail Asia Conference EXPO, and Build Asia 2023, in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai on May 10, 2023. (ANDY CHONG / CHINA DAILY)
Hong Kong needs to strengthen vocational training for local talents to offer more opportunities to young people who are interested in exploring new paths, as well as more options for those who wish to improve their competitiveness and income by learning new skills, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po wrote in his blog on Sunday.
“The cultivation and diversification of talents is an important element in supporting the high-quality development of our economy, which not only enables young people to fulfill their potential, but also brings together their creativity and effort to add new strength to different sectors of the economy,” he said.
The vocational training platform allows better interface and collaboration among trainees, employers, potential customers and the market, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said, adding there’s more room for vocational education and training as the special administrative region promotes economic transformation and moves towards high-quality development
The vocational training platform allows better interface and collaboration among trainees, employers, potential customers and the market, Chan said, adding there’s more room for vocational education and training as the special administrative region promotes economic transformation and moves towards high-quality development.
The finance chief recalled his recent visit to the Chinese Culinary Institute and the International Culinary Institute, saying their industry resources and internship programs are expected to help cultivate more cross-cultural talents for Hong Kong’s food service industry, thereby enriching the city’s culinary culture.
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The institutions are two of the 13 members of the Hong Kong Vocational Training Council — the city’s largest vocational and professional training provider.
Funded as a statutory body in 1982, the VTC provides credentials for some 200,000 students each year through a full range of pre-employment and in-service programs with internationally recognized qualifications. Apart from culinary training, the council also includes schools for hospitality, tourism, design and maritime training.
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“Vocational education and diversified training can help to enhance the overall workforce standard and learning ability, and also contribute to the enhancement of productivity,” Chan said.
In his budget this year, Chan said the VTC will launch a two-year pilot project enabling secondary school students to have early exposure to vocational and professional education and training as part of efforts to promote youth development.
Contact the writer at evanliu@chinadailyhk.com