Repairing and maintaining buses may not be the ideal career for young Hongkongers fixated on a white-collar ideal, but - with KMB looking for 85 apprentices - they are being urged to take the long view.
The KMB apprenticeship training programme takes three to four years at the bus company's Technical Training School, and includes some courses at the Institute of Vocational Education.
Gary Tang Leung-shun, Supervisor of Youth Employment at the Federation of Youth Groups, said: 'Young people may not be interested in apprenticeships because of the lengthy time in training and the demanding work conditions.'
Clerical jobs were more popular with youngsters because of the easier working conditions, he said.
'But if young people can view apprenticeships with more of a long-sighted vision, they can see that their skills will enable them to set up their own businesses in the future,' said Tang. 'This would make apprenticeships more popular.'
Apprentices are initially paid HK$5,300 a month, increasing in increments to HK$7,000 by the final year of training.
The openings come just as the MTR Corp is projected to create 17,000 jobs as it builds five new lines. The bus company is not competing for the same talent as construction companies, a KMB spokesman said.