HKTDC Education & Careers Expo Opens

800+ Exhibiting Organisations; New Career Trends Spotlighted

HONG KONG, Jan 28, 2016 - (ACN Newswire) - The 26th HKTDC Education & Careers Expo, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), opened today and continues through 31 January at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Admission is free. The fair gathers more than 800 exhibiting organisations from 17 countries and regions, offering a wide range of information on further studies, continuous education and job opportunities to help visitors strengthen their resumes and develop their careers. Among the exhibitors are those from this year's featured industries: electrical and mechanical, aviation and food and beverage.

Speaking at today's opening ceremony, Matthew Cheung, Secretary for Labour and Welfare of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, said that with strong fundamentals including the rule of law, economic freedoms, free-market philosophy, pluralistic culture and international complexion, Hong Kong is well placed to play a "super-connector" role between the fast growing Chinese economy and the rest of the world. By promoting smart manufacturing and attracting high value-added innovation and technology industries suitable for Hong Kong, the government plans to "re-industrialise" the economy. All these will not only strengthen Hong Kong's internationally competitive pillar industries, but also create quality and diversified employment opportunities for the local workforce.

Margaret Fong, Executive Director, HKTDC, said the 26th Education & Careers Expo has established itself as one of the most important events of its kind in Hong Kong and an effective interactive platform for students and job seekers to connect with a wide range of institutions and potential employers, as well as those offering diversified study and career opportunities.

New career theme days to attract fresh talent

In light of the strong demand for talent in various industries, the Expo presents four career theme days to help students and job seekers pursue their goals by analysing opportunities and prospects in certain sectors as well as the pathways for entering different industries. Today's Culinary and Bakery theme day hosts cooking demonstrations by the Chinese Culinary Institute and International Culinary Institute while three-star Michelin Chinese chef Albert Au is on hand to share his recipe for career success. These activities aim at attracting school-leavers to join the restaurant and catering industry. With the launch of major infrastructure projects by the HKSAR Government in recent years, there is a strong demand for workforce in the construction and engineering field. During the Electrical and Mechanical theme day tomorrow, 19 organisations including the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, CLP Power, MTR Corporation and the Water Supplies Department will explore career prospects and present a host of job vacancies at the fairground.

Saturday's Career Internship theme day will invite Qianhai International Liaison Services Limited from Shenzhen, the Home Affairs Bureau, the Commission on Youth and various consultancies to share information on working opportunities both on the Chinese mainland and overseas. Meanwhile, given the recent emphasis of the HKSAR Government on nurturing local and regional aviation specialists, the highly popular Aviation theme day returns to the expo this year. Aviation professionals will discuss career prospects for pilots, aircraft engineers and the air cargo industry.

In addition to the career themes, a number of government departments as well as institutions from the private and public sectors are carrying out recruitment activities at the Expo. They include the Hong Kong Police Force, Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited, Centaline Property Agency and BOC Group Life Assurance Company Limited. Job seekers may present their resumes and apply for jobs on-site.

Youth Zone presents abundant summer jobs and internships

Internships prepare students for their future careers. The Youth Zone gathers a number of local and Chinese mainland corporations to present their internship programmes to fair visitors.

This year the HKTDC joins hands with FreshLinker, an online job-seeking platform for university students, to offer more than 200 summer jobs and internships, which will give successful applicants valuable experience in the workplace. A total of 16 companies are offering internship opportunities in the Youth Zone, including Hyatt Hotels Corporation, New World Telecommunications Limited, Hopewell Holdings Limited and Golden Harvest.

Representatives from the Labour Department will introduce the Youth Employment and Training Programmes scheme, up-to-date information on job opportunities on the Chinese mainland and overseas Working Holiday scheme, providing youngsters with a wider range of career options.

Identifying global education opportunities

On education, the Expo comprises different theme days featuring in-depth information for students who wish to pursue their studies outside Hong Kong. The four education theme days begin today with the Chinese mainland, followed by the United States and Europe. The last day of the fair will focus on Australia and New Zealand. Representatives from these places will host seminars on such topics as admission procedures, entry requirements and campus life. This year, with the Scheme for Admission of Hong Kong Students to Mainland Higher Education Institutions is expanded to include 84 mainland institutions, including Tsinghua University and Peking University. As such, the China Education Exchange (Hong Kong) Centre will explain enrolment details during the Expo. Other overseas exchange and study programmes are also presented by AFS Intercultural Exchanges.

With creative education gaining popularity, a number of exhibiting organisations are offering related study programmes. The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, French Institutes Beauty Academy and the International Professional Grooming Academy will outline their respective programmes to point youngsters in the right direction along their chosen career paths.

This year, the HKTDC has teamed up with the Vocational Training Council (VTC) to present a range of innovative, fun-filled activities for visitors' participation on-the-spot, such as building a robotic ant and using smart devices to control a racing car and a badminton-playing robot.

Experts and celebrities share workplace insights

A number of star speakers are taking part in the Expo to share their experience in building their careers. Today, former TV news anchor and executive director of a local drama group, The Nonsensemakers, Ngai Yee-shan, reveals her thinking behind switching profession from media to performing arts. Tomorrow, Hong Kong's first F1 Development Driver Fong Cheun-yue will talk about his road to becoming a professional racer, followed by clinical psychologist and one of the "Hong Kong Ten Outstanding Young Persons 2015" Dr Cheung Yee-lai on Saturday. Cheng Tan-shui, a well-known cross-media professional, will make his appearance on the last day of the Expo (31 January) to talk about public speaking skills. On the same day, Alvina Chan, founder of Alvina Cookery, will reveal what it takes to move from a career in investment banking to studying culinary arts at Le Cordon Bleu Paris.

More than 100 events are arranged during the Expo, including seminars on further education, theme day talks, sharing sessions on mainland working experience, tips on taking IELTS examinations, as well as seminars on management trainee programmes. In addition, Dr Benjamin Au Yeung, Senior Lecturer of the Chinese Language and Literature Department of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Yan Yuk-ki, author and consultant of the 5 Stars Chinese Composition Series, will talk about Chinese writing skills.

Date: 28 January (Thursday)Careers Theme Days: Culinary and BakeryEducation Theme Days: Chinese mainland

Date: 29 January (Friday)Careers Theme Days: Electrical and MechanicalEducation Theme Days: United States

Date: 30 January (Saturday)Careers Theme Days: Career InternshipEducation Theme Days: Europe

Date: 31 January (Sunday)Careers Theme Days: AviationEducation Theme Days: Australia and New Zealand

Fair website: http://www.hktdc.com/fair/hkeducationexpo-en/

Event schedule: http://bit.ly/23vwvGY

Photo download: http://bit.ly/1lVY0rb

Media Registration: Media representatives wishing to cover the event may register on-site with their business cards and/or media identification.

To view press releases in Chinese, please visit http://mediaroom.hktdc.com/tc

About HKTDC

A statutory body established in 1966, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is the international marketing arm for Hong Kong-based traders, manufacturers and services providers. With more than 40 offices globally, including 13 on the Chinese mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing business with China and throughout Asia. The HKTDC also organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to provide companies, particularly SMEs, with business opportunities on the mainland and in overseas markets, while providing information via trade publications, research reports and digital channels including the media room. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Google+, Twitter @hktdc, LinkedIn.

Google+: http://plus.google.com/+hktdcTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/hktdcLinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/hong-kong-trade-development-council

Source: HKTDC

Contact:

HKTDC
Communication and Public Affairs Department
Joe Kainz
Tel: +852 2584 4216
Email: joe.kainz@hktdc.org

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