Chris Sun Advocates Investing in Education and Vocational Skills at APEC Meeting

Speech by SLW at 8th APEC Human Resources Development Ministerial Meeting in Nanjing (2)

Following is the speech by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, during his presentation on the discussion topic of "Investing in People and Enhancing Vocational Skills Training" at the 8th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Human Resources Development Ministerial Meeting in Nanjing this afternoon (September 21):

Honourable Madam Chair, , (Minister of Human Resources and Social Security, Ms Wang Xiaoping), fellow ministers and colleagues,

Good afternoon, it is my privilege to speak here once again to share Hong Kong, China's experience. Needless to say, the continued success of any economy depends on the productivity and resilience of its workforce. For Hong Kong, China, our key commitments are twofold, namely investing in the education and upskilling of our human capital.

Hong Kong's demographic structure and impact of technological advancement

Like many advanced economies, Hong Kong, China faces a rapidly ageing population. Over the last 10 years, the share of our elderly population rose from 16 per cent to 24 per cent. By 2046, more than one-third of our people will be 65 or above. This shift brings a shrinking labour force, making workforce productivity more important than ever.

At the same time, AI and new technologies are reshaping the job market. As made clear in the findings of our recent manpower planning for the period up to 2028, we witness reduction in routine and administrative roles which are being automated by AI. Young graduates, while AI savvy but with no job experience and limited human capital, are concerned about fewer entry-level openings or offers. Middle-aged clerical workers are also on the alert because many lack AI capabilities to stay relevant in the job market. However, AI is also creating new and exciting opportunities for those with the ability and skills to harness it for value creation. To stay competitive, our employees must build both AI skills and industry knowledge. The two have to go together. Our goal is to help every worker adapt and learn continuously.

First key commitment: investment in education

On this front, to nurture talent, Hong Kong, China invests heavily in education. Our annual budget for education accounts for over US$13 billion, which is about 17 per cent of total recurrent government expenditure. We also offer 12 years of primary and secondary education for free, and heavily fund eight public universities in Hong Kong, China. We are proud to have five universities among the global top 100, producing tens of thousands of highly competent and skilled graduates every year. With continuous and consistent investment in education, in 2025, almost half of our workforce attained post-secondary education and over one-third are university graduates.

To complement the traditional academic routes, we are now heavily promoting vocational and professional education and training. Through the Vocational Training Council, we deliver comprehensive training across different sectors, to nurture every year over 100 000 student enrolments. Further, to elevate degree-level vocational pathways, the Government, as a first step, qualified two universities as universities of applied sciences.

Second key commitment: vocational and upskill training for the local workforce

Secondly, the Government's manpower policy is to nurture our local talent and unleash the local workforce. We invest heavily in upskilling and have launched a series of training initiatives covering different industries and professions.

On this front, the Employees Retraining Board in Hong Kong, China, is undergoing a major strategic upgrade to become Upskill Hong Kong. Under this enhanced positioning, Upskill Hong Kong will provide skill-based training for the entire workforce, regardless of their educational attainment. Upskill Hong Kong will roll out a dedicated 18-month AI upskilling campaign, featuring accessible online training to help workers of all backgrounds to master practical AI applications for the modern workplace. This campaign ensures our workforce remains highly competent and stays relevant in the AI age.

Closing remarks

Madam Chair, we are at a crossroads in assessing and managing AI's impact on the workforce. The discussion today sheds light on how economies across APEC could collaborate and learn from each other to harness the power and possibilities of AI for the betterment of our workforce.

Hong Kong, China, for one, will remain deeply committed to investing in our people, empowering our workforce through robust education and vocational training, and also embracing digital innovation to build a resilient, future-ready workforce and secure sustainable prosperity for all.

Thank you.

Source: AI-found images

"Salute to the National Flag" Hong Kong and Macao Youth Flag-Raising Teams' Beijing Visit Delegation received by state leader

The "Salute to the National Flag" Hong Kong and Macao Youth Flag-Raising Teams' Beijing Visit Delegation, led by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, was received by Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, Mr Ding Xuexiang, at the Great Hall of the People today (September 21).

The Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, several guests, primary and secondary students and teachers and post-secondary students from Hong Kong and Macao, as well as representatives from the Association of Hong Kong Flag-guards and the Hong Kong Army Cadets Association, also attended the meeting.

Mr Chan expressed deep gratitude to Vice Premier Ding for personally guiding the Hong Kong and Macao youth and even more so to the nation for providing this valuable opportunity for students to take part in the solemn flagraising ceremony at Tiananmen Square and experience the historical culture and development achievements of the capital. He said that this was a rare and profound patriotic education experience. During the solemn flagraising ceremony, students felt the dignity of the national flag and anthem up close, deepening their understanding of the symbolic meaning of the flag, as well as national situation and development. Through a rich itinerary of visits, the students also gained a genuine appreciation of the challenges and accomplishments of the nation's journey from history to rejuvenation, further strengthening their national identity, the sense of national pride, affection for and sense of belonging to the country.

Mr Chan emphasised that the trip is of great significance for promoting patriotic education in Hong Kong's primary and secondary schools. In addition to textbook learning, bringing students into the sites of national history and culture allows them to experience emotions firsthand and deepen their understanding through real stories, which greatly contributes to patriotic education. The delegation's itinerary organically integrated national flag education, history education, cultural education and national development education, making patriotism more concrete, vivid and powerful in the hearts of students, guiding them to consciously safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, and aspiring to become a new generation that loves the country and Hong Kong and is willing to take responsibility.

Source: AI-found images