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Greater Bay Area
OpinionLetters

LettersTo brighten young Hongkongers’ prospects in the Greater Bay Area, let’s take bigger steps

  • Hong Kong must go beyond organising visits and exchange programmes for students
  • The government must bolster STEM education to make Hong Kong graduates more employable in the region

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In an event organised by the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Youth Association at AsiaWorld-Expo on September 25, 2018, participants wearing Chinese ethnic costumes attempt to set a world record for the largest calligraphy class. Photo: Xiaomei Chen
Letters
Boasting a population of 70 million and a combined gross domestic product of US$1.5 trillion, the “Greater Bay Area” represents enormous opportunities for our youth.
The Hong Kong government has rolled out various policies to enable our youth to learn more about the Greater Bay Area, including a funding scheme for NGOs which operate internship programmes on the mainland, including in this region. Meanwhile, many NGOs and community associations have organised visits or internship programmes to give our young people first-hand experience and a deeper understanding of the Greater Bay Area over the years. Our schools also run exchange programmes for students.

However, all these should be considered merely the first step. It’s about time we took further steps to enhance the employability of our youngsters in the region, beyond simply arranging visits and exchange programmes. After returning to Hong Kong, our youth will go back to their daily routines and may regard the programme they attended as just another short trip. Only when they find jobs in the Greater Bay Area will they fully immerse themselves in the region. Admittedly, this may be easier said than done.

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Our university graduates still demand more than the average pay for entry-level jobs, compared to most of their counterparts in the Greater Bay Area. Therefore, not too many mainland companies are willing to hire our graduates due to the higher costs, apart from our young people’s unfamiliarity with the market conditions and regulations there.

While some have suggested offering local youth help with starting their own business in the Greater Bay Area, there are risks involved, such as the lack of capital, experience, connections and understanding of market conditions and regulations. Indeed, the harsh reality is that failure rates are high among start-ups all over the world.

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