The Chamber decided to organize an internship programme as part of a series of initiatives to celebrate our 160^th anniversary this year. We started off with plans to create around 160 positions for students through the support of our member companies. The response has been incredible, and we were ultimately able to offer more than 1,650 places under our 160+ Internship Programme.

Participating Chamber companies come from a variety of backgrounds that range from banking to retail to engineering, providing plenty of options for potential interns to consider. Here at HKGCC we have also welcomed three interns for the summer. They have been busy with their roles within our membership and accounting teams, including welcoming prize winners of our Hong Kong We Can Do it! Lucky Draw to the Chamber.

Internships are a fantastic way for students to experience the day-to-day reality of working life, and to explore the myriad careers and organizations that are available through such temporary job placements. Offices and other professional environments tend to be quite different from the world of high school or university. Internships also help young people to develop soft skills like working with a wide variety of people, and to better understand the expectations of employers. 

The 160+ Internship Scheme is just the latest in HKGCC’s activities to connect the business community with the city’s youth. Our Business-School Partnership (BSP) Programme – which links local businesses with secondary schools – celebrates its 20^th anniversary this year. The pandemic has obviously had an impact on this programme. However, our members have done a fantastic job of offering online talks and events amid the social restrictions, thereby ensuring that participating students can still learn about their companies and the wide range of jobs that are available.

We are also now in the third year of our Business Case Competition, which gives teams of university students the chance to tackle challenges presented by sponsor companies. Participants are expected to use their innovative skills to deal with real-life issues for businesses, and the standard of the projects presented in the competition so far has been very impressive. 

Outside of our own programmes, the Chamber has also been instrumental in persuading the Government to launch GBA-YES, which helps recent graduates access the huge range of job opportunities in the Mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area. 

Participating in these schemes broadens students’ career horizons, gives them the chance to demonstrate their abilities to potential employers, and helps them to realise their full potential.

Today’s students are the business leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs of tomorrow. The whole of Hong Kong will benefit if we can give them a good start to their careers, so I’d like to once again thank all of our members for their support in enabling us to run these valuable programmes for Hong Kong’s youth.

George Leung
[email protected]