A spokesman for the Environment Bureau (ENB) said today (November 28) that the vetting of applications for the Government's subsidy programme for graduates under the Green Employment Scheme has been completed, and that over 500 subsidised jobs have been approved.
The spokesman noted that with the positive response received from the trades, the ENB had increased the subsidy quota from originally about 200 to over 500 to benefit more graduates and employers. Among the approved jobs, more than 350 places had been filled by eligible graduates while recruitment for the remaining approved jobs is under way. The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has gradually disbursed subsidies to employers who have recruited eligible graduates for the approved jobs.
The applicants of the programme come from companies and organisations of diversified backgrounds, with the approved subsidised positions covering a wide range of environmental protection areas. These include environmental consultant work, environmental management, environmental technology equipment and testing, green construction and management, environmental education, new energy vehicles and air quality, renewable energy, ecological conservation, waste reduction and recycling, and green finance.
The spokesman added that the ENB will also provide the graduates with the professional training course "GreenPro Training Programme". The course will cover various environmental protection topics such as global environmental issues and sustainable development, environmental assessment and planning, climate change, air quality, waste management, water quality and noise control, with a view to better equipping the employed graduates with different areas of expertise in the field.
The training course will be provided by the EPD's Environmental Academy in collaboration with various professional institutions and organisations. These include the Hong Kong Institute of Qualified Environmental Professionals, the Hong Kong Productivity Council, the Hong Kong Institute of Environmental Impact Assessment, the Hong Kong Institute of Acoustics, the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Green Building Council, the Hong Kong Green Finance Association, the Hong Kong Meteorological Society, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department and the Smart City Consortium.
The first lecture of the "GreenPro Training Programme" was given at the new "Environmental Academy@Smart Venue" located in Eastern District on November 26. There, the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, briefed the graduates on the Government's environmental protection policies and measures. The Legislative Council member representing the Engineering Functional Constituency, Dr Lo Wai-kwok, attended as a guest to share experiences with the graduates.
The application period for the graduates' subsidy programme ended on August 28. It provides opportunities for graduates who are interested in environment-related fields to enter the industry under the current situation of employment difficulties, and to nurture talents for meeting needs on various environmental fronts. The programme will provide employers of eligible graduates with a monthly subsidy of $5,610 to form part of the monthly salary paid to each eligible graduate for a period of 18 months.
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