The Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, today (January 13) visited Guangzhou and called on the Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of Guangdong Province (DHURDGP) and the Human Resources and Social Security Department of Guangdong Province (GDHRSSD) and signed the Letter of Intent (LOI) on the Development of Talents for the Construction Sector with GDHRSSD. The meeting today deepened the co-operation in the construction sectors in Guangdong and Hong Kong on various fronts, thereby supporting the high quality development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).
Ms Linn met with the Director-General of the DHURDGP, Mr Zhang Yong. The Development Bureau (DEVB) and DHURDGP signed the LOI on Strengthening Guangdong-Hong Kong Cooperation in Construction and Related Engineering Sectors last year and since then have achieved progress of various collaboration projects under the LOI. Today's meeting covered exchanges on strengthening and extending collaboration in areas including continued facilitation for Hong Kong construction enterprises and professionals to set up businesses in the GBA, adoption of Hong Kong's project management model for selected suitable GBA projects, fostering experience sharing between Guangdong and Hong Kong, collaboration in formulation of standards, etc. and customs clearance facilitation for modules of modular integrated construction. Ms Linn thanked DHURDGP for their continued and strong support for the work of the DEVB, fostering exchanges and collaboration of the construction sectors in the two places.
Afterwards, Ms Linn met with the Director-General of the GDHRSSD, Mr Du Minqi, and signed the LOI on the Development of Talents for the Construction Sector. Ms Linn said that the signing of LOI marked the new heights reached in propelling collaboration in nurturing construction talents. In future, the DEVB and GDHRSSD will take forward the recognition of "Professional Titles" for various construction professions, the formulation of GBA Standards for construction skilled workers and implementation of the "One Examination, Multiple Certification" arrangement, with a view to enhancing and deepening collaboration in training quality and technical expertise. This will enable Hong Kong to, through strengthening the connectivity within and outside the GBA, better leverage its unique advantages in attracting, gathering and nurturing talents, thus facilitating Hong Kong's construction industry to contribute to the high-quality development of the GBA.
Ms Linn also took the opportunity of this trip to visit Guangdong City Technician College, and learn about its latest development as a training base for WorldSkills Competition.
The Head of the Project Strategy and Governance Office of the DEVB, Mr Joseph Lo, the Principal Assistant Secretaries (Works) Mr David Leung and Mrs Susanne Wong also joined the visit.
Ms Linn returned to Hong Kong this afternoon after the visit.
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