Lack of ability to think outside the box puts brakes on opportunities for advancement in Hong Kong's vital financial sector
Hong Kong students have fallen behind their overseas counterparts in 'creativity, global perspective and communication skills', according to a financial industry leader.
The comments came as the Advisory Committee on Human Resources Development in the Financial Services Sector and Hong Kong Polytechnic University this week organised a three-day jobs fair consisting of exhibitions and talks. The event, attended by 40 financial institutions, is open to the public and ends today.
Chan Tze-ching, chairman of the advisory committee and a member of PolyU's council, said the financial sector, now employing about 180,000 people or 5 per cent of the workforce in Hong Kong, suffered from a shortage of staff at a time when more talent was needed in financing and investment.
While local graduates performed well in most jobs in the sector, companies had had difficulty identifying suitable candidates for higher value-added work, such as investment banking.
'Financial courses in Hong Kong are very well run. But students do not fare as well in creativity, global perspective and communication skills compared with those studying abroad,' he said.
Mr Chan, also the head of Greater China corporate and investment banking for Citigroup, said 'the basic quality of local students isn't bad' and that they needed an opportunity to show their ability.