The Chief Executive, Carrie Lam, has proposed 200 new initiatives in her latest Policy Address to restore public confidence amid the current social environment and the pandemic. The new measures cover areas such as virus prevention and control, economy and finance, innovation and technology, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). Among them, the development of human capital in Hong Kong has been highlighted as one of the key issues in the Policy Address, and the policies on nurturing talent and youth development take up a large section of the Address.
There is also the new GBA Youth Employment Scheme among other initiatives. Under the Scheme, government subsidies will be provided to enterprises which employ local university graduates to work in the GBA Mainland cities. A total quota of 2,000 will be offered which will help the local youth explore new opportunities in the GBA and broaden their vision.
There are over 20,000 graduates from local universities each year. COVID-19 has brought a lot of uncertainties to the career prospects of this year’s graduates. The Scheme would be able to provide career opportunities to about 10% of the graduates, hence helping to fill some of the reduction of local openings caused by the downturn of Hong Kong’s economy.
The GBA, with a population of approximately 70 million, will continue to grow with huge development potential. This opportunity would undoubtedly fuel the economic growth and well-being of Hong Kong in the foreseeable future. Our young people should ride on this GBA growth engine to develop a prosperous career for themselves as well as participate in the establishment and development of the GBA, thus creating a win-win situation.
EY is always committed to providing opportunities to our next generations to cultivate their global visions. This year, we have newly launched a pilot program – “Youth Mobility Program” for local young people to take up internships at EY offices in the GBA cities. Under this Program, local interns will be assigned to work in different offices in the GBA Mainland cities. This will deepen the young people’s knowledge and real-life experience about working in the GBA, and hence facilitate their future development. The Youth Mobility Program has, coincidentally, shared a common focus on the long-term development of young people in Hong Kong akin to the GBA Youth Employment Scheme just promulgated by the Chief Executive.
"We hope to leverage the EY network in the Greater Bay Area to provide internship opportunities for the new generation in Hong Kong and China. Our Youth Mobility Program helps young people gain a comprehensive understanding of the Greater Bay Area, broaden their horizons, and at the same time identify and nurture talent for the future development of the region," said Agnes Chan, Managing Partner, Hong Kong and Macau, EY.
Being a global leader in assurance, tax, strategy, transaction and consulting services, EY has all along taken the responsibility of developing talent as our promises. In light of the various challenges under the pandemic, EY is committed to equipping our young people with a good understanding of the working environment in the GBA via the Youth Mobility Program, strengthening future employment advantages and establishing closer ties with the community and industry.
-ends-
Notes to Editors
About EY
EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, strategy, transaction and consulting services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.
EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation are available via ey.com/privacy. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.
This response has been issued by Ernst & Young, China, a part of the Ernst & Young global organization.
