STEM Internship Scheme launched

In the 2020-21 Budget, the Financial Secretary has set aside $40 million to subsidise undergraduates and postgraduates taking STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) programmes in universities funded by the University Grants Committee to enrol in short-term internships. The Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) has set up under the Innovation and Technology Fund the STEM Internship Scheme to encourage STEM students to gain innovation and technology (I&T)-related work experience during their studies and to foster their interest in pursuing a career in I&T after graduation, so as to enlarge the local I&T talent pool.

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Eligibility of Students
The Scheme is open to undergraduates and postgraduates who are -
1. local students in accordance with the classification by the Education Bureau for the purpose of admission to post-secondary programmes; and
2. enrolling in one of the full-time STEM programmes offered by the eligible Universities.

Internship Placements
Internship places can be newly created or belong to existing in-house internship programmes of the companies/organisations. They have to meet the following requirements -
1. local or non-local full-time placements with duration of at least four consecutive weeks; and
2. offer meaningful I&T-related work, subject to the vetting of the universities.

The Scheme has adopted a broad definition of I&T under which an internship place will be regarded as I&T-related as long as its actual work contains I&T elements (e.g. technology-related intellectual property work, digital marketing, data analysis for the manufacturing industry, etc.). Participating employers may pay a monthly honorarium during the internship period on top of the allowance under the Scheme. They have full discretion in determining the honorarium level with reference to their internal policies, industry benchmarks or market rates.

Allowance and Funding
The student interns will receive the allowance subject to the arrangements of individual universities. The allowance for each student intern under the Scheme will be HK$10,500 per month, with a cap as prescribed by individual universities, but not more than three months in every academic year. ITC will disburse the funding to the universities on a reimbursement basis.

Application Procedures and Arrangements
Individual universities have prescribed their respective application procedures and arrangements. Interested students and employers are welcomed to approach the following universities -

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology - Career Center
Tel: (852) 2358 6688
Email: careercenter@ust.hk

The University of Hong Kong - The Centre of Development and Resources for Students
Tel: (852) 3917 2317
Email: stem@cedars.hku.hk

The Chinese University of Hong Kong - Ms Zoe Fong
Tel: (852) 3943 9639
Email: zoefong@cuhk.edu.hk
 
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University - Mr KK Ng (Employer matters)
Tel: (852) 2766 4651
Email: kk.ng@polyu.edu.hk

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University - Miss Genette Cheung (Scheme details and application)
Tel: (852) 3400 3121
Email: genette.cheung@polyu.edu.hk

City University of Hong Kong - Miss Cherry Chong
Tel: (852) 3442 4481
Email: cherry.chong@cityu.edu.hk

Hong Kong Baptist University - Miss Penny Lo (Career Centre)
Tel: (852) 3411 5278
Email: pennylo@hkbu.edu.hk

The Education University of Hong Kong - Career Development Service
Tel: (852) 2948 6246
Email: careerservice@eduhk.hk

Please visit ITC website for more details.