Letters | To attract the best, Hong Kong’s civil service must make the best offer – starting with its internships
- Readers discuss a revamp of the government’s internship programme, hopes for the New World First Bus-Citybus merger, and looking out for elderly loners in Hong Kong
Currently, the civil service’s post-secondary internships, which offer work experience and little else, are more like a box-ticking exercise for students who wish to dress up their resumes. The government should revamp its internship programme, starting with its Administrative Service internship, the crown jewel of civil service internships and sought after by students from different disciplines.
Instead of merely offering interested students “an opportunity to gain hands-on experience of working with serving [administrative officers]” and “enrich their understanding of the roles and mission of an AO” to “facilitate their future career planning”, the government could upgrade the internship by giving high-performing interns a return offer or fast-track interview. This would show that the government values exceptional work and real talent.
With such an enticing offer, the government could at the same time tighten its selection criteria to ensure it draws the best candidates.