Insurance is a risk-transfer tool. An individual who takes out an insurance policy pays a premium to transfer the risk of a potential financial loss to an insurer. The larger the expected financial loss, the more important insurance is. To deal with unpredictable risks and to ensure financial security, it is better to take out appropriate insurance as early as possible.No one can predict the future. Without being insured, you may experience financial hardship in the event of an accident. But if you are insured before the accident, you will receive monetary compensation from the insurer to cover at least part of your costs. The earlier you take out an insurance policy, the sooner you are protected.How do I choose an insurance policy that best suits my needs?Changes in the stages of your life affect your risk exposure and responsibilities. To choose a policy that suits your needs, you should, in general, identify your protection needs and objectives according to your current life stage. You can use the online assessment tool developed by the Insurance Authority to find out whether your existing insurance coverage is adequate for your circumstances and forecast your insurance needs for the next 50 years.Which types of insurance do I need?Consider why you want to buy insurance and learn about the functions and features of the different insurance products so that you can choose the type that best suits your needs in different stages of your life. Here are some common insurance products:1. Life insurance2. Critical illness insurance3. Medical insurance4. Accident insurance 5. Annuity6. Fire insurance or home insurance7. Motor insurance 8. Travel insurance 9. Domestic helper insuranceShould I purchase every type of insurance? Is more insurance always better?Everyone has their own path on their life journey with their own circumstances and financial situation, so everyone has different insurance needs. Furthermore, some insurance products, like medical insurance, work on a reimbursement basis. You cannot claim more than the amount actually paid even if you are covered by a number of insurance policies or a policy with a huge sum insured. And the more policies you have and the higher the amount insured, the higher the premiums you will have to pay. Be sure you do not end up with financial problems because of taking out too many policies.Before choosing an insurance product that suits you in terms of coverage, sum insured, premium level and risk level, identify your protection needs according to your current life stage by making reference to one of the following sections: childhood and adolescence, young adulthood, mature adulthood, raising a family, pre-retirement. For more details, please visit the Insurance Authority’s website or its YouTube channel to watch the relevant video series.(The information is abstracted from the Insurance Authority’s thematic sitelet)

The Meaning of WorkWork holds different meanings and values for each individual, but one thing is certain: beyond making a living, there are other important factors that drive us to work hard. To find a job that suits you, you must understand the value of work, recognise your career orientation, and gain insight into the world of work.Life Planning InformationNext up: should I work or further study? Life Planning Information Website of the Education Bureau provides detailed information about both options and will help you make the right decision.Support Services on Employment and Self-employmentIf you decide to join the workforce, you may be puzzled or come across certain dilemmas. You can visit the "Youth Employment Start" for more personal advisory and support services on employment and self-employment. Available services include Career Assessment, Mock Interview Workshop, as well as free business workstation and design corner for young entrepreneurs. You can now try the on-line simplified version of the Career Assessment, as well as register on-line as a preliminary member, apply for activities and make reservation on part of the services of "Youth Employment Start".

After the release of the HKDSE results, you may start to consider your possible future paths. Employment is one of the options. Among all the industries, which one best suits your personality, abilities, and interests? How can you equip yourself? What job-seeking channels are available? Let’s break it down step by step!First, whether you already have a preferred industry or are still considering your options, you can start by browsing the Industries and Jobs - Life Planning Information Website under Education Bureau and Careers Exploration - Talent.gov.hk to understand the responsibilities, work environment, and personality matches for different positions across various industries. If you are interested in certain job positions, you can further explore the educational requirements, skills, career prospects, and promotion pathways. More importantly, you can get to know the vacancies available in the market for these positions and any relevant courses available in these websites.In addition, you can visit the Job Centres of the Labour Department to consult employment advisors for job search advice. Employment advisors provide information of the latest employment market, training courses and existing employment programmes available to meet the needs of individual job seekers. They also conduct career aptitude assessments for job seekers and offer job search advice.If you are unsure about your career direction, you may consider giving yourself more trials and experiences by participating in the Labour Department’s Work Trial Scheme or the following on-the-job training/ apprenticeship programmes:Labour Department’s "Youth Employment and Training Programme" (YETP) The YETP provides free and dedicated training and employment support services to young people aged 15 to 29 with an educational attainment at sub-degree level or below. This programme enables young people to better understand themselves and their work aptitudes while enriching their job skills and experience so as to enhance employability. Career Advisors of YETP provide trainees with career development services. Trainees may also choose to participate in training courses, workplace attachment training and on-the-job training. The programme also recently launched the Greater Bay Area Work Experience Attachment Programme this summer, offering 1-month workplace attachment in the Greater Bay Area Mainland cities for YETP trainees aged 18 to 29.Vocational Training Council (VTC)'s Apprenticeship and Other Training Programs Apprenticeship training has duality in essence: apprentice not only has a full-time job with steady income, and complemented with related vocational education; moreover, the training is monitored and supported. While being an apprentice, he/she accumulates working experience and progress academically concurrently.When you make up your mind to enter the workforce, you can consider exploring job opportunities through the following channels:Government-provided job platformsTalent.gov.hkLabour Department's Interactive Employment Service"GovHK - Applying for Government Jobs"Job fairs/recruitment events organised by the Labour Department, NGOs, or individual companiesNewspapers, professional magazines, and online advertisementsPrivate employment agenciesRecommendations from friends and relativesSelf-recommendation to potential employersIf you determine to apply for a job but don’t know where to start, don’t worry! You can refer to the Labour Department’s Job Hunting Briefcase or participate in a series of tailor-made career advisory activities organised by the Youth Employment Start (Y.E.S.); with an aim to assisting and equipping secondary school graduates in pursuit of a promising career. These activities range from CV preparation to interview makeup and styling workshops, helping you confidently tackle various job-seeking challenges and finally secure your dream job!Sources:Education Bureau - Life Planning Information Website Talent.gov.hkLabour Department - "Youth Employment and Training Programme"Labour Department - Youth Employment StartLabour Department - Interactive Employment ServiceLabour Department - "Launch Your Career""Job Hunting Briefcase"GovHK - One-Stop PortalVocational Training Council

To further encourage young people to acquire practical work experience, develop potentials and explore employment opportunities through workplace attachment training under the Youth Employment and Training Programme (YETP) of the Labour Department, the rate of workplace attachment training allowance is increased with effect from 1 June 2025.  Attachment opportunities will be offered by the private, public and social service sectors.  Each YETP trainee will undergo workplace attachment training in a host organisation for ONE month and there is no employment relationship between the host organisation and the trainee.  Trainees are eligible for workplace attachment training allowance provided that they complete the training with an attendance rate of 80% or above.  The amount of allowance is $8,000 for workplace attachment training commencing with effect from 1 June 2025.For details, please visit the YETP’s website or call our hotline 2112 9932.

The Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme (the Scheme) offers you an opportunity to broaden your horizon and explore a new career pathway in the Mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area (GBA)!The Government launched the pilot Scheme in 2021 and gained very favourable feedback from both the participating enterprises and young persons. To foster career development of young persons and the exchange of talents in the GBA, the Labour Department launched the regularised Scheme since 2023 to encourage enterprises to engage Hong Kong young persons to work in the Mainland cities of GBA. To strengthen support for youth employment, enhancement measures are introduced under the Scheme since January 2025.Eligibility criteria for young persons are relaxed to allow legally employable Hong Kong residents aged 29 or below with educational attainments awarded by higher education institutions within or outside Hong Kong at sub-degree level or above to join the Scheme.Enterprises with businesses in both Hong Kong and the Mainland cities of GBA to employ Hong Kong young persons in accordance with Hong Kong Laws and station them in the Mainland cities of GBA to work and receive on-the-job training may apply for allowance from the HKSAR Government of 60% of the young persons' monthly salaries with the limit increased to HK$12,000 per month for up to 18 months. Enterprises must offer a monthly wages of no less than HK$18,000 for young persons holding bachelor's degrees or above and offer salaries at a level comparable with the market rate for young persons with sub-degree qualifications.The HKSAR Government has implemented the "Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme - Arrangements for Mainland Youth to Work in Hong Kong" (the Arrangements) since 2025. Enterprises which have participated in the Scheme and employed Hong Kong young persons to work in the GBA Mainland cities may apply for the same number of Mainland young persons to work in Hong Kong according to relevant requirements under the Arrangements, so as to foster the exchange of talents in GBA.Eligible young persons can visit the Scheme website for job vacanciesKick-off Ceremony, experience-sharing by participating young people and enterprises (Chinese videos with Chinese and English subtitles)

Commencing from 23 February 2024, the Youth Employment and Training Programme (YETP) of the Labour Department (LD) has increased the amount of training allowance for trainees to a maximum of $333 per day. Trainees may enrol in training courses of Employees Retraining Board (ERB) or the YETP with the assistance of their case managers with a view to enhancing their employability and preparing them for entering the employment market. Eligible YETP trainees who completed a training course and attained 80% attendance or more are entitled to a training allowance. For training courses commencing on or after 23 February 2024, the amount of training allowance payable for “Youth Training Programme” courses of Employees Retraining Board (ERB) will be calculated at a rate of $167 per valid training day, while that for other ERB courses and the YETP courses will be calculated at a rate of $333 per day (i.e. $166.5 per valid training session). About the Youth Employment and Training Programme (YETP)The YETP is free and welcomes young school leavers aged 15 to 24 with an educational attainment at a sub-degree level or below to enrol. The YETP offers services that include pre-employment training, workplace attachment training, on-the-job training and case management services provided by registered social workers. For details, please visit the YETP's website. The LD has also set up a Youth Employment Services hotline at 2112 9932 to provide a one-stop enquiry service regarding the programme, and register on-the-job training vacancies from employers.

(The story is in Chinese only. Please refer to the Chinese version.)

Unleash the potential for local young people and Small and Medium Enterprises in the thriving Greater Bay Area (GBA). Hong Kong Trade Development Council's  GoGBA one-stop platform offers comprehensive career and business information in the GBA. The GoGBA Go-to Guides for instance, hope to help entrepreneurs and businesses with the first steps of setting up a business, handling taxation and completing related procedures. Connect with business partners and access career information in the GBA with just few clicks！ Visit www.go-gba.com to know more!Stay connected with our GoGBA WeChat Mini-program for the latest updates.(Scan QR code in WeChat)  

In recent years, green and sustainability issues have been gaining much attention in the international community.  Hong Kong is also firmly committed to promoting green and sustainable finance (GSF) to address climate-related financial risks, and raise market awareness as well as participation. In order to strengthen Hong Kong market players’ capacity on GSF, there is a critical need to expand the talent pool and enhance the capacity building for practitioners as well as prospective practitioners. The Pilot Green and Sustainable Finance Capacity Building Support Scheme (Scheme) aims to support talent development in GSF by providing subsidies to market practitioners as well as prospective practitioners in taking up relevant training and acquiring relevant professional qualifications. The Scheme will run for a pilot period of three years and is administered by the Secretariat of the Centre for Green and Sustainable Finance (Secretariat). Eligibility Requirement The Pilot Scheme is open for application by Hong Kong residents who are market practitioners and prospective practitioners of green and sustainable finance, namely students and graduates in relevant disciplines. After completing eligible programmes, applicants can apply for a subsidy of up to 80 per cent of the relevant fees (full-time student applicants can apply for a subsidy of up to 100 per cent of the relevant fees), subject to a ceiling of $10,000. Application procedures Details including the eligibility requirements, procedures for subsidy applications, and the list of eligible programmes are available on the Pilot Scheme's website.