Government Career Fair at CityU Inspires Young Talent to Join Civil Service

Speech by SCS at Government Career Fair

Following is the speech by the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, at the opening ceremony of the Government Career Fair at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) today (September 11):

Professor Lee (Provost and Deputy President of CityU, Professor Lee Chun-sing), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning. It gives me great pleasure to be here today for the Opening Ceremony of the Government Career Fair at the City University of Hong Kong, and to see so many young faces around.

Young people are Hong Kong's future and the civil service is the backbone of the Government. To maintain an energetic team with promising candidates to succeed their predecessors at different levels, the Government has been making relentless efforts to attract aspiring young people to join the civil service in recent years. The Government Career Fair is one of our flagship initiatives aiming at providing an interactive platform for students to explore potential career pathways in the Government and learn more about job opportunities available within the civil service. We started the Career Fair last year at three local universities, attracting over 1 000 students to our booths and counters. This year, we are expanding the Career Fair to cover 10 local universities and more civil service grades, and the largest-ever job bazaar is hosted here in CityU today. I hope this is a befitting tribute to the University, which is celebrating, this year, its 30th anniversary, meaning that it has had 30 years of success in nurturing young talents and enhancing their employability.

As we gather here today, I can sense so strongly the vibrancy of youth, a vibrancy that is vital to the progress of our society. Your energy, passion and fresh perspectives are indispensable assets that can drive advancement and innovation within the Government and in the public service. It is with this in mind that I encourage each and every one of you to consider pursuing a career in the civil service. As the largest employer in Hong Kong with around 380 grades, that is 380 different job types, the Government offers around 10,000 job openings across various departments every year. Amongst the wide range of job opportunities we offer, there is for sure a place for you regardless of where your passion lies. Whether it is policymaking, public administration, law enforcement, healthcare, engineering, information technology or even broadcasting, law drafting or any other field of interest, we have a place for you.

Many job seekers may find civil service jobs attractive because of the remuneration package. It is certainly true that a civil service career will enable one to afford a decent living standard, but those who have joined the Government would also agree that the greatest reward actually comes from serving the community, driving changes and making a positive impact in society. Imagine being at the forefront to provide quality and diversified education opportunities to children of different talents, or to revitalise tourism to attract people from all over the world to experience Hong Kong, or to improve the opportunities and benefit of a hitherto overlooked underprivileged group. This is very exciting. Having been a civil servant for over 36 years, I can assure you that it is incredibly fulfilling to know that your daily work can lead to tangible and intangible improvements in individuals' lives and in the well-being of the community.

Apart from the immeasurable sense of fulfilment, joining the civil service also provides you with a promising career path in a caring environment with ample opportunities for personal and professional growth. The Government invests heavily in structured and diversified training programmes for professional development opportunities for civil servants' career progression. For instance, with the support of the Central People's Government and the assistance of the Commissioner's Office of the Foreign Ministry in the HKSAR (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region), the Government has fielded young officers to take part in the United Nations Junior Professional Officers Programme since 2019. Our young officers selected into the Programme have the chance to work in United Nations offices in exciting places such as New York, Geneva and Vienna as Chinese Personnel. Besides, the Government also regularly arranges professional and management training in the Mainland and overseas, as well as secondment opportunities to the public and private sectors, with a view to widening the exposure of civil servants while preparing them for career advancement.

We understand that many aspiring undergraduates are already looking beyond the campus into the professional world well before they reach their final year of study. To enable young people to better plan their future career advancement, for certain civil service positions, such as Administrative Officers and Executive Officers, we have since last year expanded the pool of eligible candidates to undergraduates and postgraduates in their penultimate year of study. Government departments have also stepped up recruitment drives and some of them are conducting year-round recruitment for specific grades. I am pleased to tell you that these initiatives have received very warm responses. The number of university students applying for the Common Recruitment Examination and the Basic Law and National Security Law Test, which are the doorstep to individual civil service job's recruitment process, surged from around 2 500 in June 2023 to around 4 600 in June 2024, representing an increase of more than 80 per cent. Among them, 35 per cent are students in their penultimate year of study. There is also a notable increase in the number of applications for civil service jobs overall.

In the Career Fair today, 30 government bureaux and departments have sent representatives from over 50 civil service grades to share their work experience with students. For those who aspire to join us in serving the public, you are invited to make the best use of today's opportunity to visit our exhibition booths and enrol in the recruitment talks to learn more about the roles that civil servants play in shaping our society. This is not just about seeking a job, it's about discovering a vocation that resonates with your passion and aspirations.

Before I close, please allow me to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Professor Lee and CityU members for hosting this meaningful event. Thank you, and congratulations on your 30 years of success in the pursuit of academic excellence and in the provision of quality education.

Finally, may I borrow the words of a famous man, Steve Jobs, on this occasion: "The only way to do great work is to love what you do." For students and young fellows joining us today, I hope all of you will have an enriching experience here and find the path you love very soon to embark on a career journey filled with successes and fulfilments. Thank you.

Source: AI-generated images

Illegal worker jailed

A Pakistani illegal worker, holding a recognisance form, was jailed by Shatin Magistrates' Courts yesterday (September 16).

During a joint operation conducted by the Immigration Department (ImmD) and the Hong Kong Police Force codenamed "Powerplayer" on July 16, investigators raided a hawker pitch on Tung Choi Street in Mong Kok District. A Paskitani man, aged 30, was arrested while assembling the hawker pitch. Upon identity checking, he produced a recognisance form issued by the ImmD for inspection, which prohibits him from taking employment.Further investigation revealed that he was a non-refoulement claimant.

The illegal worker was charged at Shatin Magistrates' Courts yesterday with taking employment while being a person in respect of whom a removal order or deportation order was in force. After trial, he was sentenced to 22 months and two weeks' imprisonment.

The ImmD spokesman warned that, as stipulated in section 38AA of the Immigration Ordinance, an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order,an overstayeror a person who was refused permission to land is prohibited from taking any employment, whether paid or unpaid, or establishing or joining in any business. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to three years' imprisonment.

The spokesman reiterated that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. Under the Immigration Ordinance, the maximum penalty for an employer employing a person who is not lawfully employable, i.e. an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order,an overstayeror a person who was refused permission to land, has been significantly increased from a fine of $350,000 and three years' imprisonment to a fine of $500,000 and 10 years' imprisonment to reflect the gravity of such offences.The director, manager, secretary, partner, etc, of the company concerned may also bear criminal liability.The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence.

According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee's identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker's valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and to imprisonment for one year. In that connection, the spokesman would like to remind all employers not to defy the law and employ illegal workers. The ImmD will continue to take resolute enforcement action to combat such offences.

Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct aninitial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation, with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) victims. When any TIP indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP elements, such as threats and coercion in the recruitment phase and the nature of exploitation. Identified TIP victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter, temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP victims to report crimes to the relevant departments immediately.

Source: AI-generated images