Demand for engineers in Hong Kong has rarely been higher, with two key factors responsible for the intense competition between employers to attract new recruits.
One is the strength of the general economic rebound, coupled with the government's 10 mega-infrastructure projects, which is creating a need for skills in every engineering discipline. The other factor reflects the fact that companies outside the immediate sector - typically, financial institutions - remain keen to hire engineering graduates, valuing the clear thinking and analytical approach they bring.
'There's no doubt that the competition for talent has become much tougher in the past two years,' says Connie Lam, human resources director at CLP Power Hong Kong. 'Therefore, we have to make every effort to identify the best young people early and interest them in a career with the company.'
These efforts begin through partnerships with local secondary schools and extend to internships and one-year scholarships. The aim is to ensure an up-to-date understanding of what engineering has to offer and to counteract a demographic shift that has seen fewer students choosing this path. 'We always take a long-term view in formulating HR strategy,' Lam says. 'Part of that is to make sure students know how technology is changing. We also want them to see how CLP is investing to provide electricity for the mega-infrastructure projects and to support the government's vision on climate change.'
Such developments, she notes, mean the business is always evolving. So, whether starting as graduate trainees, junior technicians or qualified professionals, recruits receive extensive training and development that continue throughout their career.
There are two distinct aspects to this. The first focuses on providing technical knowledge through formal instruction and on-the-job experience. For graduate trainees, this leads to chartered status in a specific discipline, such as electrical engineering.