Vocational Training Council hosts three-day Future Skills Community Event as part of its 40th anniversary celebrations
- Five thematic zones – Digital, Health, Smart Living, Green and Cultivating Talents – showcased student innovations
- Event highlighted vocational learning that integrates technology, and how it can be applied to drive industry and community development
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The Vocational Training Council (VTC) presented its Future Skills Community Event with the support of the Education Bureau earlier this month, showcasing the achievements of vocational talents and promoting the value of Vocational and Professional Education and Training (VPET) to the public. The three-day event was also an occasion for the VTC to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, as well as being a signature event marking the Council’s 40th anniversary.
Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration Cheuk Wing-hing said there is a pressing need in Hong Kong to provide the talents to drive the industries that are its future.
“We emphasise industry-institution collaboration and diversified development, promoting VPET as a pathway parallel to conventional academic education,” Cheuk said at the opening ceremony. “In this regard, VPET providers, including the VTC, have a crucial role to play.”
“The world is fast-changing; so is the talent demand across industries,” said Tony Tai Chark-tong, chairman of the VTC. “To equip our students with future-ready skills, we are undergoing a transformation of the environment for learning and teaching – powered by digital technologies and characterised by even closer collaboration between the public and private sectors, and among educators and companies.”
Inspiring the next generation
The event was divided into five thematic zones – Digital, Green, Health, Smart Living and Cultivating Talents – each showcasing innovative projects that have integrated technology, designed by VTC students, graduates and teachers.
Welcoming visitors at the entrance to the event was the Occupation Dictionary, a free career assessment tool developed by the VTC for youngsters to identify their skill set and career orientation.
Sixteen-year-old Au Chantapai visited the exhibition on a school tour and used the tool to get a glimpse of a possible career path.
“I want to become a vet, as I like working with animals,” he said. “The test said I’m an investigative person. I think the investigative side includes some disciplines that share a similar path as a vet. So it definitely boosts my confidence towards my goal.”
The test categorised participants into six areas of career interests and recommended a route for each of them.
Embracing new technologies across disciplines
The event also helped visitors discover how their studies might be enhanced by new technologies.
The Air Cargo Virtual Reality (VR) Training Facility allows students to learn about and practise air cargo operations in an interactive digital environment.
The VR facility trains students for the job – especially relevant given the limited access to real-life training facilities. It provides training in air cargo handling procedures, pallet building and the handling of refrigerated and dangerous goods.
The VTC hopes this will help draw students to a career in the logistics industry.
In another area, students and teachers of the Health and Life Sciences Discipline have developed the CAVE Rehabilitation Service Project, integrated with extended reality (XR) and VR technologies for cognitive rehabilitation.
The team developed four games for elderly people who have Alzheimer’s disease. Cognitive abilities can be improved through these games, which are inspired by day-to-day life, from playing mahjong to categorising groceries in a virtual kitchen.
“We see that even with technological advancements, few have merged technology with rehabilitation services,” said student Ho Ching-hei. “With the resources from the school, we’d like to try combining the two with the project.”
Art technology is another hot topic – in light of this, the Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI) introduced an Arts Technology programme under its Department of Digital Media.
Students showcased the programme’s strengths with an immersive cube. Integrating different techniques such as real-time rendering, live camera tracking and XR, the cube, lined with LED panels, takes users on virtual adventures.
“I like how art technology can be applied to many aspects, from film to advertising to animation. This technology is alluring for the new generation,” said Kelly Chan Tsz-yuk, a student of the Arts Technology programme.
The VTC is dedicated to nurturing a new generation of design talents to support the creative industries. Two fashion shows featuring costumes designed by students and alumni of the HKDI and the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong (THEi) were held over the three-day event.
Sharing knowledge and promoting skills
In addition, more than 10 thematic seminars were held during the event, bringing together educational experts and industry leaders to discuss VPET development in areas including future skills, the metaverse, sustainable development and talent training, as well as collaborations between industry, academia and research institutions in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area.
A prize presentation ceremony for the first Hong Kong Junior Skills Competition, which took place between May and June, was also held at the event.
