Recruitment under Member Self-recommendation Scheme for Youth Phase 8 starts today
The Government today (November 28) started recruitment under the Member Self-recommendation Scheme for Youth (MSSY) Phase 8. The application period will close on December 27.
The participating committees for the MSSY Phase 8 include the Youth Development Commission, District Youth Community Building Committees and District Youth Development and Civic Education Committees in the 18 districts established by the Home Affairs Department, offering over 300 seats. The Government encourages young people who have a commitment to serving the community to apply for the MSSY. Applicants for the Youth Development Commission must be aged between 18 and 35 as of December 27 (i.e. the date of the application deadline). As for the District Youth Community Building Committees and the District Youth Development and Civil Education Committees, applicants must be aged between 16 and 35.
A spokesman for the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) said, "The MSSY is one of the key initiatives of youth development as set out in the Chief Executive's 2022 Policy Address and the Youth Development Blueprint. To engage more young people in public affairs and enhance their interaction with and trust in the Government, action has been taken to expand the MSSY, with a view to increasing the number of participating advisory committees from around 60 in 2022 to no less than 180 within the current term of the Government. At present, about 630 posts are held by young people who have been appointed to advisory and statutory bodies directly or indirectly through the MSSY. The overall ratio of youth members in these bodies has increased from 7.8 per cent in end-2017 to 15.6 per cent in mid-2024.
"Following the principle of meritocracy, the Government aims to recruit young people who have a strong commitment to serving the community, a good understanding of youth development work and district affairs, and good analytical and communication skills to join the said Committees through the MSSY," the spokesman said.
The HYAB will set up a Recruitment Committee (RC) to oversee the implementation of the MSSY. Under the RC, Assessment Panels (APs) will be formed to handle the applications concerning the respective committees. The APs will conduct interviews with applicants to facilitate assessments. Subject to the actual number of applications received and assessment progress, assessments would be completed in the first quarter of 2025 and the list of appointees would be uploaded to the website of the HYAB in due course.
The application form and other details of the MSSY Phase 8 are available on the website of the HYAB (www.hyab.gov.hk). When completing the application form, applicants are required to write no more than 600 words or provide a video or audio clip of no longer than three minutes to explain, in either Chinese or English, their suitability for being appointed as a member of the selected committee(s). Applications may be submitted through the online application system, by post or by hand.