Education and Career Expo highlights government positions and further education

Attracting more than 800 booths, The Hong Kong Education and Career Expo addressed civil servant positions, featured job openings from private institutions, and provided further study opportunities as a burst for applicants seeking government and commercial sector jobs and a boost of studying abroad.

The three-day expo was held from Jan.25, bringing more than 3,000 job openings from 16 countries and 17 regions to the participants.

 To help the participants better understand the government’s jobs, the series talk on “Careers in the Government” became one of the most popular stands at the event.

 “Hong Kong government, which is the biggest employer in Hong Kong, offers more than 190,000 full-time jobs for those willing to work hard and keep learning to achieve success,” said Ingrid Yueng, Secretary for the Civil Service. 

Correspondingly, applications for civil service jobs increased sharply. The applicants for Customs officers surged by 90%, with a 40% increase for Immigration officers since October, according to Yueng.

Tiffany Cheung, 23, a fresh graduate from a local university, said the government’s talks during the expo were very insightful for her future career path. 

 “I can ask questions regarding the application process and job content here, so I think [this event] is quite helpful,” Cheung said. “The talks are quite clear, and the speaker made the content of the position very clear. It matches my expectations regarding the role.” 

The unemployment rate in Hong Kong from October to December of 2023 was 2.9%, which resumed at the pre-pandemic level in 2019, according to government data.

However, Sandy Cheung, a final-year history student at Hong Kong Baptist University, said finding a job proved difficult because there are few opportunities in Hong Kong for her major. 

“My history major limits my career prospects, and many of my friends consider teaching or working at a museum as their only options,” she said. “Cultural workers in Hong Kong are very underpaid, which inhibits Hong Kong youth from working in such industries.” 

The Education Zones were on the other side, including local and international studies from France, Australia, Czechia, Japan, etc.

 “I had worked in the Education Bureau, and to this day, the provision of diverse and quality education opportunities to students and adults who are keen to improve themselves remains a matter very close to my heart,” Yeung said. 

According to the Education Bureau of Hong Kong, 12.3% of secondary school graduates study outside Hong Kong in 2022, which decreased by 1.9 percentage points than in 2021.

Luica Swiryda Fuentes, international recruitment director for VATEL University and Business School in Bordeaux, said that non-local students from Hong Kong or the mainland are highly sought out because of their insight and market opportunity. 

“[VATEL] believes that the biggest markets for restaurants and hospitality come from places like (Mainland) China, Hong Kong and Macao,” she said. “Therefore, we’re willing to come here to expand our studentship and offer scholarships to people who are interested in our studies.”