With the arrival of the new school year this autumn, we have also seen the kick-off of the Chamber's Business-School Partnership (BSP) Programme for 2020/2021. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, this year's programme has received a record high of more than 140 schools and companies participating.

The briefing session to launch BSP for this academic year was held online on 30 October, with around 100 teachers and Chamber members attending. This first meeting gives representatives from member companies and schools the opportunity to discuss their plans for the year. 

In his opening remarks, Chamber CEO George Leung, expressed his gratitude to the participants for their support. "The Chamber will continue its work in facilitating exchanges between the business community and schools, and enabling students to better understand the business sector," he said.

Wilkins Lau, Assistant Manager of Talent Development, introduced the BSP's aims and activities in more detail. During the programme, students learn how companies work and are introduced to different professions through a wide range of activities including career talks, interview workshops, company visits and job shadowing. Each school is paired with a Chamber member company, and the exact format of activities is decided through discussions about the type of business and the needs of the students. 

Teachers can also nominate students to take part in the Student Ambassador Scheme, where students have the opportunities to attend some of the Chamber's large-scale and high-level business events, such as our Business Summit and Business Community Luncheons with the Financial Secretary and Chief Executive.

Many of the BSP activities planned for the previous academic year had to be cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak. However, the Chamber organized a number of career webinars for students – in sectors including banking and finance, architecture and law – so they could still learn from our members' expertise and work history.

As the pandemic stabilizes, we hope that we can soon resume the very worthwhile company visits and other interactions among businesses, teachers and students, to give the students a first-hand insight into the world of work.