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Chairman's Message


Mr. YU Pang-chun, GBS, JP
Chairman
Employees Retraining Board

Forging Ahead and Embracing Changes

Hong Kong welcomes the long-awaited return to normalcy in 2023 with the city’s economy regaining momentum.  To further drive economic recovery, the Government has stepped up measures to attract quality investment and foster a diverse talent blueprint, creating stronger impetus and gearing the city for post-pandemic opportunities and sustainable long-term growth.

In the face of the lingering pandemic, the Employees Retraining Board (ERB) flexibly responded to challenges arose.  We launched six phases of the “Love Upgrading Special Scheme” (“Special Scheme”) and provided dedicated support to people in need of skills training.  Over 200,000 trainees participated in the Special Scheme and developed professional skills, enabling them to rejoin the workforce or pursue new career opportunities.

Looking ahead, as the society requires concerted efforts to revitalise the economy and build a robust talent pool, ERB will dovetail with the Government’s policies in talent development and empower the workforce through retraining, thereby contributing skilled manpower and competent labour force to different sectors.

Walking Hand in Hand with the Community

In 2023-24, ERB will continue to strengthen our support to members of the public on skills training and employment.  In response to the “2022 Policy Address”, we have revised the disbursement arrangement of retraining allowance by raising the daily rate of allowance for placement-tied courses in March 2023, with a view to encouraging latent workforce to enrol in training courses and join the labour market, supporting the manpower needs of industries.

Young people and the “Post 50” (people aged 50 or above) are the key service targets of ERB.  In the new year, we will develop more new courses for young people to cater for their diverse training and development needs.  We will also strengthen collaboration with the Labour Department on youth training under the “Youth Employment and Training Programme” (YETP).  As part of the collaboration, ERB will provide a portfolio of vocational training courses for YETP trainees while the Labour Department will provide case management services, workplace attachments and on-the-job training to prepare trainees for career development.  In supporting the “Post 50”, we will explore more internship opportunities in various industries through the “Post-50 Internship Programme” to assist the “Post 50” embark on new career paths.  We will also provide dedicated training courses for social groups with special needs, including persons with disabilities and persons recovered from work injuries, ethnic minorities, rehabilitated ex-offenders, etc., facilitating them to acquire skills training and integrate into society.

Progressing in Tandem with the Society

To better support the manpower and training needs of industries, ERB will leverage our “Industry Consultative Networks” to strengthen connection and collaboration with industry partners.  We will launch specific “Hire and Train” Scheme for industries with keen manpower demands including the healthcare service sector, the hospitality industry and more. We will also co-organise “Tailor-made Courses” with employers for job positions which require particular skill sets, and provide “Online Recruitment Service” and “Enterprise-based Training” to assist employers in recruiting and developing talent.

In response to the Government’s policy measures on smart city development and the new skill requirements of different industries, we will develop more vocational training courses embracing innovation and technology elements and industry-specific skills so as to cultivate and encourage talent growth, boosting the human capital of Hong Kong.

With the increasing popularity of online learning, ERB will further advance online teaching and learning, including making wider use of the online learning platform, exploring more online learning approaches and interactive course contents, implementing relevant quality assurance mechanisms and providing online learning resources to instructors, with a view to enhancing the quality of teaching and learning while offering more study options to aspiring trainees.

Reaching New Horizons

ERB has been walking shoulder to shoulder with all sectors of the community for over three decades.  Looking ahead, we will stay flexible and embrace a “Forward, Innovative and Versatile” approach to provide the local workforce with necessary skills training to adapt to changing market needs and work landscapes.  We will give full play to our societal role and contribute to building a dynamic talent pool to foster the city’s imperative progress in the new era.