High school graduates in Shanghai have greater proficiency in English than their Hong Kong counterparts, according to a recruitment agency executive.
'I can recruit better English-speaking high school graduates in Shanghai more cheaply and more quickly than I can in Hong Kong,' said Futurestep Asia Pacific president Robin Sears.
English was necessary for people working in technology and e-commerce, which were sectors Hong Kong needed to develop.
In the mainland, there had been a strong emphasis on proficiency in English in recent years. 'They are learning English so fast it would make your head spin,' Mr Sears said.
His remarks follow a number of surveys which have shown a lack of English proficiency to be a key concern of employers in Hong Kong.
Last year a survey of senior managers in Hong Kong, commissioned by accountancy association CPA Australia, found 63 per cent of respondents believed inadequate English among employees was a problem.
Hong Kong universities and companies should co-operate more to train the labour force in the necessary skills for business, Mr Sears said.
