Second-term Human Resources Planning Commission convenes fifth meeting (with photo)

     The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr John Lee, chaired the fifth meeting of the second-term Human Resources Planning Commission this afternoon (July 20).

     At the meeting, members were briefed by the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) on the findings of the Future of Work & Skills Survey released in June this year. The survey interviewed over 600 employers and employees to study the impact of the pandemic on companies and their employees. The majority of the respondents indicated that their companies implemented flexible work arrangements during the pandemic. Around 80 per cent of the employers and more than 90 per cent of the employees interviewed thought that hybrid work is feasible. However, companies will need to strengthen information technology (IT) infrastructure and staff training to achieve higher productivity and competitiveness.

     Members generally agreed that remote work gradually became the new normal under the pandemic. They also noted that the HKPC strives to provide the necessary support for companies and organises various courses to enhance the IT knowledge and digital skills of employees, including offering training for them through the Matching Grant Scheme for Skills Upgrading and the Reindustrialisation and Technology Training Programme to cope with future challenges at work. 

     Furthermore, members were briefed by the Education Bureau on the recent developments of the self-financing post-secondary education sector in Hong Kong. The Task Force on Review of Self-financing Post-secondary Education was established in October 2017 to consider the overall role and function of the self-financing post-secondary education sector in serving the long-term education and manpower needs of Hong Kong, review major issues of concern pertinent to the ecology of the self-financing post-secondary education sector and review the future developments of the sub-degree programmes. The Task Force submitted its review report in December 2018 and made a total of 13 recommendations. The Government has taken follow-up action, including revamping the Committee on Self-financing Post-secondary Education to strengthen its role and functions in November 2019 and announcing the launch of the $1.26 billion Enhancement and Start-up Grant Scheme for Self-financing Post-secondary Education at the end of 2020 to provide financial support for self-financing post-secondary education institutions to develop and enhance programmes that meet market needs but require high start-up costs.

     Members welcomed the follow-up work of the Government, and offered comments and suggestions on how to better promote self-financing post-secondary education to cater for the development needs of Hong Kong.