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[Newly Launched] Meet our Four Thematic Pages!

Four brand new thematic pages are here on Youth.gov.hk! Thanks to the valuable opinions we received from young people on the design and content of our website, four new thematic pages are launched. Let’s explore the features of the new pages:     Enhanced user experience On each Thematic Page, contents are grouped under the sections “Hot Topics” or “Focus”. With just one click, you may jump directly from the top of the page to the section you are interested in. Further information is available by clicking the hashtags in each section.     New social feed section At the bottom of each Thematic Page is a Social Feed section where a wide selection of relevant social media feeds on that theme provides everything you need from the latest news to the highlights of earlier information. Why wait? Visit the Thematic Pages now:  

• #YouthDevelopment

Subscribe Hong Kong Public Holiday iCal 2022 to your electronic calendar!

From now on you can save time in adding public holidays to your electronic calendar!  1823 Online has prepared the Hong Kong Public Holidays calendar in iCal format for your use! iCal, short form of iCalendar, is a common file format used for sharing calendar data. iCal is compatible with most of the current calendar program.1823 Online currently provides data of HK public holidays for 2020-2022. For new users, public holidays for 2020-2022 will be shown in your calendar after subscribing to our iCal. For users who have already subscribed to our iCal, your mobile devices will automatically update the information of public holidays for 2019-2021 to information of 2020-2022 after synchronisation. >>>Click here to susbcribe Hong Kong Public Holiday iCal 2021 to your electronic calendar! A statutory holiday is not equivalent to public holidayThe Employment Ordinance does not require an employer to grant leaves on public holidays to his/her employees.  In Hong Kong, in addition to Sundays, there are 17 public holidays, but the number of statutory holidays is only 12.  Public holidays such as Good Friday, the day following Good Friday, Easter Day, the Buddha's Birthday and the day following Christmas Day are not statutory holidays. Please click here for more details of statutory holidays and public holidays. The 13 statutory holidays for 2022 are:1. The first day of January - 1 January (Saturday)2. Lunar New Year’s Day - 1 February (Tuesday)3. The second day of Lunar New Year - 2 February (Wednesday)4. The third day of Lunar New Year - 3 February (Thursday)5. Ching Ming Festival - 5 April (Tuesday)6. Labour Day - 1 May (Sunday)7. The Birthday of the Buddha* - 8 May (Sunday)8. Tuen Ng Festival - 3 June (Friday)9. Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day - 1 July (Friday)10. The second day following the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival - 12 September (Monday)11. National Day - 1 October (Saturday)12. Chung Yeung Festival - 4 October (Tuesday)13. Chinese Winter Solstice Festival or Christmas Day (at the option of the employer) - 22 December (Thursday) or 25 December (Sunday)(*The Employment (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 will come into operation on 1 January 2022. The first newly added statutory holiday is the Birthday of the Buddha on 8 May 2022.)The day following the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival falls on a SundayAccording to the Employment Ordinance, in the event that the day following the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival falls on a Sunday, the day thereafter (i.e. the 17th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar) is designated as a statutory holiday in substitution. As the day following the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival of 2022 falls on a Sunday, 12 September (Monday) will be designated as a statutory holiday. Please visit the website of Labour Department for more details.

• #Career
• #1823
• #LabourDepartment

[Awardees' Sharing] Outstanding Youth Commendation Scheme 2021

Organised by the Youth Development Commission (YDC), the Outstanding Youth Commendation Scheme aims to encourage young people to set targets for their personal development and actively take part in community building and social services to set an example for other young people. A new batch of award recipients has been announced. Let's watch the sharing of the awardees to know more about the characteristics of an outstanding youth. (This video is broadcasted in Chinese) Want to learn more about the experience and characteristics of the awardees? >>Click here<< to watch a video series of interview with individual awardee to find out more. (The video series is broadcasted in Chinese)

• #YDC
• #YouthDevelopment

Youth uniformed groups under disciplined and auxiliary services departments

The Government strives to nurture youths and support them in fully realising their potential. Youth uniformed groups offer important platforms for promoting youth development. To this end, most of the disciplined and auxiliary services departments have set up their own youth uniformed groups to nurture young people’s sense of social responsibility, enhance their law-abiding awareness and help them develop leadership skills through a series of classroom and physical training. Information about the youth uniformed groups under the disciplined and auxiliary services departments is listed below for easy reference. Junior Police Call The Hong Kong Police Force has all along been actively promoting youth development. With the mission of nurturing fight crime partners and future leaders, it founded its flagship youth organisation, the Junior Police Call (JPC), in 1974. Currently, Advanced Leaders and members of JPC Leader Corps who join foot drill training are uniformed to reinforce the sense of belonging. On top of organising regular leadership camps to build up young people’s resilience, team spirit and leadership skills, JPC has also launched new programmes, e.g. innovation and technology competitions, in recent years to enhance its appeal to young people. In April 2021, JPC introduced the Junior Police Call Mobile Application (JPC App) to facilitate the recruitment of new members and the participation of existing members. In addition, JPC implemented a new youth engagement strategy under the acronym “IDEAS” this year to highlight the elements of JPC’s activities, namely “Innovation”, “Discipline”, “Exposure”, “Adventure” and “Synergy”. With this new strategy, JPC has also launched a new awards scheme, with a view to enriching members’ learning experience systematically. Looking ahead, JPC will also offer youth exchange opportunities in the Greater Bay Area to let participants gain first-hand experience of the opportunities in the Greater Bay Area. >> Website of Junior Police Call (The video is in Chinese)   Fire and Ambulance Services Teen Connect The Fire Services Department (FSD) established its youth uniformed group, called the Fire and Ambulance Services Teen Connect (FAST Connect), in 2021.  FAST Connect aims to provide a learning platform for its members, arranging regular training and activities to equip them with a rich learning experience.  Apart from providing practical training on basic fire-fighting and rescue techniques, basic first-aid skills and fire safety knowledge, FAST Connect also covers national education (e.g. the Chinese-style foot drill) to enhance the sense of belonging to the country among youth.  Exchange sessions with community leaders and Hong Kong elite athletes are also arranged for members.  Through participating in the various training and activities arranged by FSD, young people can acquire new knowledge outside the classroom, learn more about the country’s development and build a good character, with a view to building a solid foundation for academic and career success in the future. >> Website of the Fire and Ambulance Services Teen Connect (The video is in Chinese) Immigration Department Youth Leaders Corps The Immigration Department (ImmD) established its uniformed group, the Immigration Department Youth Leaders Corps, in 2013. Presently, the uniformed group provides disciplinary and leadership training to local students from Secondary 1 to Secondary 6 in Hong Kong. The training programme covers knowledge about immigration matters, national education, foot drill, physical fitness, community services and outdoor training. It aims at developing members’ sense of discipline and team spirit, enhancing their sense of national identity, and instilling positive thinking and values through group activities. Members will receive training in the Immigration Service Institute of Training and Development and visit immigration facilities so as to deepen their understanding of ImmD’ s work. This will help those who are interested in joining the Department in future get prepared. Since September this year, dedicated instructors also host school-based meetings with a view to building closer rapport with members. (The video is in Chinese)   Customs Youth Leader Corps The Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) introduced the education-oriented programme, Customs YES, in 2021 for young people aged between 12 and 24. Groups, schools and non-governmental organisations interested in supporting and promoting youth development can also join as organisation members. The Customs YES programme aims at enhancing young people’s appreciation of C&ED’s work and fostering their positive values and sense of belonging to society. Its activities include Customs job orientation experience, summer internship programmes, adventure and leadership training and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area exchange programmes. Customs YES also regularly holds theme-based (e.g. legal profession, innovation & technology, and logistics) career development workshops aim to help members understand the situation and development of various sectors through interactive activities such as site visits and sharing by sector specialists. Under the framework of diversified activities of Customs YES, C&ED has formed a new youth uniformed group called Customs Youth Leader Corps, which aims at nurturing members to be distinguished youth leaders. Apart from participating in Customs YES activities, members are required to attend regular assemblies and disciplinary training to acquire various skills and learn about C&ED’s work. >> Website of Customs Youth Leader Corps (The video is in Chinese) Rehabilitation Pioneer Leaders The Correctional Services Department (CSD) has been implementing the Rehabilitation Pioneer Project since 2008 to disseminate the message of “leading a law-abiding and drug-free life as well as supporting offender rehabilitation” to secondary school students and young people. Project activities include education talks in schools and organisations; visits to correctional institutions and experience sharing by persons in custody to enable participants to understand the consequences of committing crimes; and summer tours to large-scale infrastructure as well as rural schools and families in the Mainland in order to deepen participants’ understanding of national affairs. In 2018, CSD established its uniformed group, Rehabilitation Pioneer Leaders, targeting secondary school students. Participants attend regular meetings twice a month at venues such as the Staff Training Institute for foot drill, take part in teamwork and physical training, as well as join a wide range of activities such as life planning interviews and Training on the Operation of Online Channel. The aim is to broaden their horizons, foster discipline and promote law-abiding and inclusive values. >> Website of Rehabilitation Pioneer Leaders   Civil Aid Service Cadet Corps Founded in 1968, the Civil Aid Service (CAS) Cadet Corps has an establishment of more than 4 000 cadets. Committed to promoting youth work, CAS encourages young people to learn practical skills and develop leadership abilities and through which to build up self-confidence, sense of responsibility, self-discipline and the spirit to serve others. Cadets also take part in community service such as countryside conservation work, tree planting and visits to the elderly to prepare themselves for becoming responsible citizens. CAS provides a diversified array of training and activities for its cadets including life-saving, first-aid, foot drill, hiking, boating, sailing, outdoor programmes and national education courses, etc, and is planning to develop activities and training on virtual reality and unmanned aircraft to encourage cadets to explore in various dimensions. Exchange programmes for cadets to meet with young people in the Greater Bay Area have been organised in order to deepen their understanding of the development of the Greater Bay Area. >>Website of Civil Aid Service Cadet Corps (The video is in Chinese) >> Website of Civil Aid Service Cadet Corps Auxiliary Medical Service Cadet Corps The Auxiliary Medical Service (“AMS”) established its Cadet Corps in 2011 to encourage young people to acquire practical skills and develop their leadership abilities by taking part in healthcare training and activities. Apart from receiving healthcare training, cadets also take part in a wide range of events, such as first aid competitions, foot drill training, community service and national education exchange tours, etc. >> Website of Auxiliary Medical Service Cadet Corps Auxiliary Medical Service Cadet Corps The Auxiliary Medical Service (AMS) established its Cadet Corps in 2011 to encourage young people to, by taking part in healthcare training and activities, acquire practical skills and develop their leadership abilities. Major areas of the training include knowledge, prevention and handling of communicable and chronic diseases; conventional first aid and health-check training; and prevailing public hygiene and health issues (e.g. emotional / mental health and drug abuse). Apart from receiving healthcare training, cadets also take part in a wide range of events, such as first aid competitions, foot drill training, community service and national education exchange tours, etc. >> Website of Auxiliary Medical Service Cadet Corps Government Flying Service's Collaboration with Youth Uniformed Groups Although the Government Flying Service (GFS) does not have its own youth uniformed group, it has established various activity arrangements with different youth uniformed groups (such as the Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps (HKACC), the Scout Association and the Girl Guides Association).  Its collaboration with HKACC is particularly close.  Besides continuing to provide HKACC with the relevant programmes and activities, GFS will arrange officers to take part in HKACC’s leader training programme and give professional coaching to HKACC members aged 16 or above, providing experiential activities to help them learn more about the different facets of GFS’s work (including the work of Pilots, Air Crewman Officers, Aircraft Engineers, Air Medical Officers and Air Medical Nursing Officers).  This can promote young people’s understanding of GFS and their interest in the aviation industry.

• #CareerEducation
• #UniformGroups
• #YouthDevelopment

[We Venture] How to apply a startup funding of up to HK$600,000

Wish to start your own business?  The Youth Development Commission has rolled out the “Funding Scheme for Youth Entrepreneurship in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA)” under the “Youth Development Fund”, which aims at providing a capital subsidy of up to HK$600,000, as well as entrepreneurial support and incubation services that befit the needs of young people who are about to start their businesses in Hong Kong and Mainland GBA cities. Read the following easy guide to learn more details of the scheme.   Eligibility criteria#: Youth aged between 18 and 40 Hong Kong permanent resident Start-ups that have not been in operation or have been in operation for not more than 3 years Business registration in Hong Kong Having a planned/established business in Hong Kong and/or Mainland GBA cities (start-ups may set up their business in Mainland GBA cities and/or in Hong Kong)#Individual NGOs may prescribe additional application conditions. Please refer to the project details of the relevant NGOs.     Funding Amount: Each start-up may receive a capital subsidy of up to HK$600,000     Entrepreneurial support and incubation services*: Assistance for settling entrepreneurial bases in Hong Kong and Mainland GBA cities Entrepreneurial guidance and business know-how Professional consultation services Business networking Market and supply chain development services Concessionary and facilitative measures for youth start-ups in various cities*Each youth entrepreneurship project lasts for a maximum of 3 years     Application Method: A total of 16 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are funded under the scheme to implement youth entrepreneurship projects. Individual funded NGOs may further prescribe additional requirements for applicants (such as business nature, affiliation with the institutions, etc.). Interested applicants may refer to the We Venture website.   You may also watch the following video for more information of the Scheme:

• #Startup
• #greaterbayarea

Five key survey findings on the development of startups

According to the 2021 Startup Survey released by Invest Hong Kong, Hong Kong's startup ecosystem remains vibrant despite the ongoing economic challenges of the global pandemic. Let’s go through the survey results. 1. Record high in the total number of startups The overall number of startups in the city reached a record high of 3,755, up 68% over 2017. 2. Number of employees recruited by startups bounced back The number of staff hired by startups in 2021 surged 29% to 13,804 persons, despite a year-on-year drop of 14% was recorded in 2020. 3. Continuous growth in locations of co-working spaces/incubators/accelerators Since 2017, the number of co-working spaces/incubators/accelerators has doubled, up from 62 to 124 in 2021. 4. Increase in non-local talents In 2021, the percentage of non-local startup founders has increased 2% to 28%. 20.5% of them were from Mainland China. 5. Most startups are engaged in the financial technology sector The financial technology sector ranks the top in terms of number of startups in 2021 with 472 such companies. The continued rise of digital behaviour has also fuelled specific startup growth in sectors such as the e-commerce and supply chain & logistics technology sector, in which the number of startups companies in the sector has increased from 385 in 2020 to 432 in 2021. Interested in starting your own business in one of the fast-growing industries? Here below are some useful resources: Startup How-Tos: How to prepare for my entrepreneurship? Startup How-Tos: Three pillars of e-commerce   Reference: Invest Hong Kong’s 2021 Startup Survey

• #Startup
• #CoworkingSpace
• #BusinessSupport

Administrative Service Summer Internship Programme 2022 - Application period opens

The primary objective of the Administrative Service Internship Programme ("the Programme") is to give Hong Kong students who wish to pursue an AO (Administrative Officer) career an opportunity to get hands-on experience of working with serving AOs, so as to facilitate their future career planning.Students participating in the Programme will be assigned duties similar in nature to those of AOs in different government bureaux or departments. Students will also have the opportunity to visit various government offices and / or relevant public organisations.Terms of EmploymentThe employment period will last for about two months or more between May and September 2022 (depending on office exigencies and individual participants' availability, the actual employment period of different cases may vary).  The level of remuneration for participants will be $10,500 per month (including contribution to Mandatory Provident Fund).  Participants are normally required to work 44 hours per week.  The exact hours of work will depend on the actual operational needs.  Overtime work, where necessary, will be compensated by time-off in lieu.All successful applicants will be offered identical terms of employment (except for the period).  No allowance will be given to appointees currently residing outside Hong Kong to cover their travelling expenses to and from Hong Kong or their subsistence during their stay in Hong Kong. How to ApplyLocal ApplicantsAll local applications (including those from students of local tertiary institutions who are currently participating in exchange programmes at tertiary institutions outside Hong Kong) must be submitted through their respective tertiary institutions.  Interested students may wish to approach the responsible department of their tertiary institution direct for details on the application procedures and deadline.Applicants Studying Full-time Outside Hong KongHong Kong students studying at tertiary institutions outside of Hong Kong (excluding students of local tertiary institutions who are currently participating in exchange programmes at tertiary institutions outside Hong Kong) who wish to participate in the Programme are required to submit by mail to the Administrative Service Division of Civil Service Bureau at Room 918, 9/F., West Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar, Hong Kong or the scanned version / soft copy of the required information together with a recent colour photo taken against a plain background (file format should be JPG, JEPG or PNG; minimum size of the photo should be 413 x 531 pixels) by email to csbasd@csb.gov.hk by 25 February 2022 (Friday) (Hong Kong Time) (late applications and applications submitted by fax will not be accepted).Notification and EnquiriesApplicants who do not receive any notification within six weeks after the above-mentioned deadline may assume that their applications are unsuccessful.  Please contact Civil Service Bureau at csbasd@csb.gov.hk if you have any query. Please visit CSB website for more details.

• #Govjob
• #Intern
• #AO