Many students look for summer jobs during their summer holiday hoping to gain pocket money as well as working experience. Yet, with limited social experience, they will easily fall prey to scammers’ devious employment traps. When facing unfamiliar recruitment processes and procedures, students should stay alert and vigilant. Try to understand the job nature thoroughly and assess your qualifications and suitability for the job you apply, and beware of online frauds and jobs that offer unreasonably high salaries. Lack of cautiousness may lead to financial loss or even unwitting involvement in criminal activities. Hence, Labour Department has prepared a travel guide to lead you embarking on a thrilling adventure to illustrate the most prevalent job traps aiming at young people looking for summer jobs -Illegal Work Talent Scout Scams Vice Traps Pyramid Schemes Fake Clicks Loan Deception Scams Unreasonable Fees Investment Scams Overseas Employment Fraud as well as sharing various smart tips against the traps -Tip 1 “Be careful and watch out for attractive offer”Tip 2 “Take good care of personal safety, personal data and belongings”Tip 3 “Know your employer and study employment contract well”Tip 4 “Stay vigilant during online job-hunting”Tip 5 “Be informed of current affairs and seek help when necessary”Besides, as fresh job-seekers, young people must pay attention to industrial safety and avoid taking up dangerous work (e.g. construction work, operation of heavy machinery, handling of chemicals and corrosive substance as well as work processes involving extremely high temperature). You should use safety equipment provided by employers and strictly follow all safety regulations at work.Hope this travel guide helps you excel in a brilliant employment experience!Source：Labour Department - A Guide for Students Seeking Summer Jobs

Feeling worried about your future career prospects after completing HKDSE? Want to enter the workforce but don't know where to start?The Labour Department (LD) has launched a special programme, 'Launch Your Career', from May to August this year for secondary school leavers who intend to enter the employment market. Through an array of diversified pre-employment training and employment services, the programme aims to help school leavers obtain the latest employment information, plan their careers and enhance their employability.The dedicated webpage of 'Launch Your Career' helps identify various job vacancies suitable for secondary school leavers, so that school leavers can apply according to their personal aspirations. The dedicated website also provides details on different types of job fairs organised by the LD, including:Recruitment days under the Youth Employment and Training Programme (YETP): YETP targets young people aged 15 to 29 with educational attainment at sub-degree level or below. Trainees placed into employment will undergo salaried on-the-job training for six to 12 months;Recruitment days held at the LD's job centres in different districts and industry-based recruitment centres: Job seekers may have on-the-spot job interviews with employers from various industries, speeding up their job hunting process; andLarge-scale job fairs: A diverse range of job vacancies, many of which are suitable for secondary school leavers, will be provided.In addition, to equip school leavers by enhancing their job interview skills and instilling proper values in their work ethics, the LD's two youth employment resource centres, namely Youth Employment Start (Y.E.S.) in Mong Kok and Kwai Fong, will organise a series of practical training courses through the 'Career Fresh Up' programme at the same time. Career assessment and career consultation for school leavers to plan their careers in advance are also provided. The latest information has been uploaded to the dedicated webpage of 'Launch Your Career'. School leavers, feel free to take a look for reference!

The Youth Employment and Training Programme (YETP) first launches the Greater Bay Area Work Experience Attachment Programme, offering 1-month workplace attachment in the Greater Bay Area Mainland cities for YETP trainees aged 18 to 29 with educational attainment at sub-degree level or below.  The deadline of application is 14 May 2025.  Details are available in the thematic webpage (www.yes.labour.gov.hk/YETP/Other/WEP).

Starting from 1 January 2025, the Labour Department (LD) has raised the upper age limit for participants of the Youth Employment and Training Programme (YETP) to 29 to allow more young people to join the programme to enhance employability.The YETP of the LD provides a comprehensive platform of job search for young people aged 15 to 29 with educational attainment at sub-degree level or below.  Services offered by the YETP include training courses, workplace attachment training, on-the-job training with salary and career development services provided by professional social workers.  For details, please visit the YETP's website at www.yes.labour.gov.hk or call the enquiry hotline at 2112 9932.

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.We currently provide data of HK public holidays for 2023-25. For new users, public holidays for 2023-25 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 2022-24 to information of 2023-25 after synchronisation.>>>Click here to susbcribe Hong Kong Public Holiday iCal 2025 to your electronic calendar!A statutory holiday is not equivalent to public holidayAn employee, irrespective of his length of service, is entitled to the following statutory holidays. Please click here for details.The 14 statutory holidays for 2025 are:1.    The first day of January - 1 January (Wednesday)   2.    Lunar New Year's Day - 29 January (Wednesday)    3.    The second day of Lunar New Year - 30 January (Thursday)       4.    The third day of Lunar New Year - 31 January (Friday)  5.    Ching Ming Festival - 4 April (Friday)     6.    Labour Day - 1 May (Thursday)   7.    The Birthday of the Buddha - 5 May (Monday)    8.    Tuen Ng Festival - 31 May (Saturday)     9.    Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day - 1 July (Tuesday)     10.  National Day - 1 October (Wednesday)     11.  The day following the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival - 7 October (Tuesday)         12.  Chung Yeung Festival - 29 October (Wednesday)   13.  Chinese Winter Solstice Festival or Christmas Day (at the option of the employer) - 21 December (Sunday) or 25 December (Thursday)   14.  The first weekday after Christmas Day - 26 December (Friday)All employees are entitled to the above statutory holidays. If the statutory holiday falls on a rest day, a holiday should be granted on the day following the rest day which is not a statutory holiday or an alternative holiday or a substituted holiday or a rest day. Please visit the website of Labour Department for more details.All employees covered by the Employment Ordinance are entitled to statutory holidays. An employer must not make any form of payment to the employee in lieu of granting a holiday (except upon termination of employment contract). In other words, "buy-out" of a holiday is not allowed. An employer who fails to follow such restriction is liable to prosecution and, upon conviction, to a fine of $50,000. If the employer requires the employee to work on a statutory holiday, an alternative holiday or a substitute holiday must be arranged in accordance with the Employment Ordinance. For more details, please click here.

This video covers the scope of work, entry requirements, on-the-job training and promotion prospects of the Labour Officer grade in the form of a short drama. It also features officers’ sharing on work culture and job application tips.If you are eager to take up challenges, willing to explore various types of work, and wish to have a meaningful career as a professional labour administrator; seize the opportunity and take action now!For details of the Labour Officer grade, please visit www.labour.gov.hk. Please also refer to the latest announcement of the Civil Service Bureau for application details.