Policy Statement & Submission

Suggested professions for inclusion in the Talent List

Qualification and professional requirements of the suggested professions

Information on current shortage situation

Architects

• Master’s Degree in Architecture; and

• 5 years of full-time work experience in architectural companies

Status of shortage:

• A recent Construction Industry Council report titled the "Construction Industry Manpower Forecast", predicts a shortage of 4,000 industry professionals in 2023, and that this number will increase to 6,500 industry professionals by 2027, of which there will be a 25% shortage in architects.

Actuaries

• University graduate (preferably with an actuarial degree or equivalent); and
• Holders of a passing score in public actuarial exams (US, UK or Australia), with intention of obtaining a fellowship qualification

Impact on the industry:

• Shortages in actuary talents raises compensation costs and impairs the ability of the industry to deliver its services on time.

Financial Services

3.1. Experienced professionals in wealth management

• University graduate (preferably with a business degree or equivalent);
• Knowledge in finance;
• Experience in wealth management client servicing; and

• Language skills (e.g., English and/or Putonghua)
   

Impact on the industry:

• Existing supply shortages have resulted in the need for companies to bear higher compensation costs. This is exacerbated by high costs in recruiting Mainland-based talents.

3.2. Experienced professionals in cross-border business

• University graduate (preferably with a business degree or equivalent);
• Knowledge in finance;
• Experience in cross-border business; and
• Language skills (e.g., English and/or Putonghua)

Impact on the industry:

• Existing talent shortages have resulted in the need for companies to bear higher compensation costs. If left unresolved, this could potentially hinder the development of cross-border business & Hong Kong’s integration into the overall development of China.

3.3. Experienced professionals in risk management

• University graduate (preferably with a BBA degree or equivalent in related disciplines); and
• Experience in risk management, i.e., Enterprise risk, Digital risk, Climate risk and Operational risk

Impact on the industry:

• Shortages in risk-management talent have resulted in the need for banks to bear higher HR costs to retain and attract talents.

Engineers

4.1. Engineers (Onsite) –

e.g. Infrastructure Construction, Building Construction, Wind Power Plant Construction, Inspection and Maintenance & Hydrogen Protection and Inspection

• Chartered Engineer (Electrical/Mechanical)

Impact on the industry:

• Absence/very limited supply of experienced professionals in Hong Kong have resulted in high retention costs.

4.2. Engineers (Compliance) –

e.g. Wind Power Plant

Construction, Inspection and Maintenance & Hydrogen Protection and Inspection

• Chartered Engineer (Electrical/Mechanical/Chemical)

4.3. Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical, Energy Management, Civil, Structural and Project Management Engineers (Specialised Fields) -

e.g. Power Grid and Transmission System Operations, Renewables Development, Clean Energy and Battery Storage Projects, Distributed Energy Management, Grid Management, Health and Safety, Sustainability

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or equivalent disciplines. Holders of higher degrees in a related field is desirable;
• Professional membership in Business or Engineering institutions; and
• Possession of Member Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (MHKIE) qualification or equivalent, and related certifications such as Project Management Professional (PMP), AUTOCAD, is desirable

Impact on the industry:

• The acute shortage of specialist engineers may have implications on the city’s ability to fulfil the objectives as set out in Hong Kong’s 2050 Climate Action Plan.

4.4. Mechanical and Electrical Engineers (Skilled Trades) –Building Services Trades

• Higher Diploma / Higher Certificate in relevant Engineering disciplines or Ordinary Diploma / Ordinary Certificate in equivalent Engineering disciplines;
• Possess relevant safety and/or technical licences; and
• Meet the relevant Competent Personnel requirements (or can fulfil such requirements in Hong Kong) – i.e., persons who have obtained the necessary internal or external certification or licence to carry out works in the relevant trade, such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) modeller, BIM manager and BIM coordinator.

Status of shortage:

• The current supply of experienced BIM modellers and coordinators in the market is insufficient in meeting the demands of government projects.

Reasons for shortage of qualified and experienced skilled trade engineers:

• High turnover rate within the profession
• Retirement wave
• Insufficient supply of junior level entrants

Aviation

5.1. Pilots (First Officer)

• Possession of Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) or Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) with a Multi Engine Instrument Rating (MEIR) and same state ATPL examinations credits – obtained without exemption or conversion;
• CPL holder - must be eligible for HK ATPL on conversion;
• At least 1,500 hours of flying time (3,000 hours preferred);
• At least 500 hours flying time on civil registered transport aircraft certified for multi-crew operations;
• Possession of a Class 1 Medical Certificate; and
• Attained Level 4 or above in ICAO English language proficiency

 Reason for shortage of pilots:

• The existing pilot licence renewal process takes considerable time.

 Impact on the industry:

• An insufficient supply of pilots may impact the operational smoothness of services within the aviation industry.

5.2. Aviation Cargo Handling – Engineers

• Experienced engineers with expertise in cargo handling system maintenance and upgrade;
• Degree holders in Electrical/ Electronics/ Mechanical Engineering discipline or equivalent; and
• At least 7 years’ experience in engineering field with at least 2 years in supervisory capacity

  Reasons for shortage of qualified and experienced aviation cargo handling engineers:

• Short supply of experienced engineers in this field in Hong Kong, exacerbated by brain drain
• Increasing demands in expertise
• High turnover rate among the younger generation

5.3. Aircraft Maintenance – Engineers

Example 1:

• Qualified and professional licence holders with expertise in aircraft maintenance;
• Holders of Aircraft Maintenance Licence issued by the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department (HKCAD) or issued by other national authorities, including Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA);
• At least 6 years’ aircraft maintenance related working experience, including 2 years certifying experience in aircraft maintenance industry; and
• Attained Technical English Level 3 or

4 for written and spoken English

Example 2: Licensed Engineer

• Holders of valid B1.1 / B2 Aircraft Maintenance Licence endorsed with type ratings; and
• At least 8 years’ experience in all aspects of aircraft maintenance including servicing, inspections, defects troubleshooting, repair and rectification, as well as maintenance certification

Example 3: Planning Engineer

• Degree in Production, Industrial Engineering, or related disciplines;
• Possession of HKAR-66 B1/B2 Licence is an advantage; and
• At least 5 years’ experience in aircraft maintenance or production planning

Reasons for shortage of qualified and experienced aircraft maintenance engineers:

• Lack of incentives for the younger generation to join the profession
• Brain drain
• Long on-the-job training period (5-8 years)
• Cross-skilling from other industries is difficult

Impact on the industry:

• In spite of such industry efforts as increasing employer brand visibility and enhancing participation in local recruitment activities, there remains an acute shortage of local experienced aircraft maintenance engineers and mechanics. This may take a toll on daily airport operations as well as the activities associated with the full-opening of the three-runway system in 2024.

5.4. Aircraft Maintenance – Mechanics

Example 1:

• Experienced aircraft maintenance mechanic responsible for aircraft maintenance tasks and inspection;
• Minimum secondary school graduate/ HKDSE or above, or completed relevant training/ apprenticeship programs;
• At least 4 years’ working experience in aircraft maintenance industry; and
• Attained Technical English Level 2 or 3 for written and spoken English

Example 2: Mechanic/Licensed Technician

• Possess professional qualifications issued by an aviation authority, such as Aircraft Maintenance Licence, Aircraft Mechanic Licence, Aircraft Mechanic’s Certificate; and
• At least 10 years’ experience in aircraft maintenance with relevant apprenticeship and practical experience in at least 3 of the following aircraft types: B747, B767, B777, A300, A320, A330, A340, A350, A380 or MD 11

Reasons for shortage of qualified and experienced aircraft maintenance mechanics:

• Lack of incentives for the younger generation to join the profession
• Brain drain
• Retirement wave
• Long on-the-job training period (3-4 years)
• Cross-skilling from other industries is difficult

5.5. Skilled professionals in aviation related fields –

e.g. engineering, inventory management, logistics and supply chain management, and digital and process transformation

(Continued from Item 5.5.)

Example 1: Quality & Airworthiness Engineer

• Engineering degree or Aircraft Maintenance Licence; and
• At least 6 years of relevant experience

Example 2: Planning Engineer

• Engineering degree or Aircraft Maintenance Licence is preferred; and
• 6 years of relevant experience, preferably in aspects of aircraft maintenance planning

Example 3: Maintenance Controller

• Holders of a HKAR 66 B1.1 or B2 aircraft maintenance engineers’ licence with appropriate type approval or equivalent qualification from another jurisdiction

Example 4: Technical Services Manager – Powerplants

• Degree in Engineering or aerospace discipline or an equivalent professional qualification; and
• At least 10 years’ experience in Engineering role

Example 5: Technical Services Engineer – Powerplants

• At least 6 years' experience in an Engineering role;
• Holders of a Degree in Engineering or aerospace discipline or an equivalent professional qualification;
• Strong engine OEM experience and/or direct Powerplants experience within an airline is preferred; and
• Holders of (or capable of obtaining) Design Engineer (DE) position in an HKAR-21 subpart J Design Organisation

Example 6: Inventory Principal

• At least 10 years' experience in aviation, supply chain or engineering industry;
• Holders of a Degree in Engineering/Aerospace or Logistics discipline or other engineering fields, or possess other relevant qualifications, combined with extensive practical experience in airline material management

Impact on the industry:

• The shortage of skilled professionals in aviation- related fields may impair the quality and efficiency of aviation services.

(Continued from Item 5.5.)

6.

Information Technology

6.1. Information & Technology Specialists –

Architecture & Cloud Engineering

• Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or related disciplines. Holders of a Master’s Degree or Business Administration in a related field is an added advantage; and
• Possess professional credentials such as ITIL, PMP, COBIT, ScrumMaster, TOGAF, DevOps, Cloud Disciplines e.g., AWS Certified Solutions Architect, AWS Certified Developer, Microsoft Cloud

Status of shortage:

• The city lacks experts with extensive experience in the design, building and maintenance of enterprise IT frameworks, solution applications, or cloud solutions.

6.2. Digital Specialists –

Business Improvement / Product Development

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Marketing, Business administration, Psychology, Economics, Statistics or equivalent;
• Possess professional credentials e.g., PMP, LEAN, Six Sigma, Data Mining; and
• Experienced in applying Design Thinking, Robotic Process Automation and process digitalisation at scale

Status of shortage:

• There is a limited supply of project managers, analysts and technical/data professionals with expertise in analysing business data and processes, as well as developing digital business products.

6.3. Software Development and Infrastructure Professionals

• Degree in Computer Science, Engineering or related fields;
• Possess Java and JavaEE application development and Rich Internet Application (i.e., JavaScript, JSON, CSS, SOAP/RESTful web services) skills;
• Knowledgeable in Scrum and Agile development practices; and
• Practical experience in Cloud-based Containers as a Service (CaaS)

Reasons for the shortage of software development and infrastructure professionals:

• Brain drain
• Short supply of local tech graduates, as well as challenges in recruiting Mainland and overseas tech graduates
• High cost of living in Hong Kong
• Lack of incentives and attractive pay

Impact on the industry:

• The city’s lack of tech workers could have a dampening effect on the attraction of investment in Hong Kong’s I&T development.