Chief Executive Carrie Lam

I am delighted to join you all to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Vocational Training Council (VTC) and congratulate the outstanding alumni awardees. Whether you are here at the VTC campus in Chai Wan or livestreaming elsewhere around the world, we can all agree that this is a happy and significant occasion for the VTC - past, present and future.

Looking back over the past four decades, the VTC and its alumni have made significant contributions to Hong Kong and beyond. Since its establishment in 1982, the VTC has been growing from strength to strength and has become a leading Vocational & Professional Education & Training (VPET) provider in Hong Kong. It has nurtured talent across different disciplines, continuously raising the bar for vocational learning and training. Today, with 13 member institutions, the VTC is the largest VPET provider in Hong Kong, offering skills-based training courses for over 200,000 students every year. Qualifications range from certificates and diplomas to vocationally-oriented bachelor degree programmes for young people and in-service practitioners. Looking ahead, VPET will continue to play an integral role in meeting the ever-changing needs of the community and the economy, and the VTC will continue to be a core component of this for many years to come.

Indeed, VPET has become an important part of the education systems both in Hong Kong and the Mainland. In April, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress passed amendments to the Mainland's Vocational Education Law, promoting vocational education to the same level as general education and further strengthening the country's technical school system. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shares the same vision. We established the Task Force on Promotion of VPET in 2018 to review and enhance the promotion of relevant programmes. The task force, chaired by Roy Chung, who is here with us today, former chairman of the VTC, submitted to us a comprehensive report in 2020, making insightful recommendations on further promoting VPET on various fronts. The VTC has been a key supporter of our various initiatives, including its participation in the Pilot Project on the Development of Applied Degree Programmes. It has also been proactive in promoting workplace learning and assessment at different levels of studies. In view of Hong Kong's ever closer integration with our country's development, it is encouraging that, with the support of the Education Bureau, the VTC has scaled up its collaboration with counterparts across the boundary. A case in point is the framework agreement signed in 2020 between the VTC and Shenzhen Polytechnic to foster partnership in areas that are pivotal to our city's development. These areas include launching new joint programmes, providing internship and exchange opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, promoting research and development, enabling its students to gain first-hand experience in the workplace on the Mainland, and seizing opportunities arising from the promising development of the Greater Bay Area.

The theme of this 40th Anniversary Celebration, "Skilling Talent • Sparking Innovation", highlights the VTC's unequivocal commitment to developing top talent and sparking innovation to help foster Hong Kong's development as a world-class smart city. The VTC has always moved with the times, continually preparing young people to be work-ready and future-ready for their life journey. In this digital age, I am pleased that the VTC has been working closely with its stakeholders through its extensive industry networks and exploring further enhancements to its VPET services. Artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity and big data analytics are among the emerging skills that have been incorporated into the curricula to equip students with new economy skills and know-how. With the Hong Kong SAR Government's strong support, the VTC has embarked on groundbreaking initiatives, such as its Smart Technology Applications & Mobile Platform and development of a brand new Aviation & Maritime Education Centre in its Institute of Vocational Education in Tsing Yi. A new campus in Cha Kwo Ling is also in the pipeline.

These achievements, and many more, are made possible with the guidance and support from the VTC's partners, who are acutely aware of the needs and trends of the labour market. In particular, the support for providing scholarship sponsorships and job placements is especially valuable to our young people.

I am pleased to have the chance today to meet some of the VTC's outstanding alumni. They provide much inspiration for our next generation to contribute their knowledge and expertise for social good. The future of our city is in their hands. I am sure that the Hong Kong SAR Government of the next term will continue to promote VPET and join hands with the education sector and the community to provide our next generation with more and better opportunities.

I thank the VTC Council members, industry partners, teachers, staff, alumni and students for their contributions to the VTC over the past four decades and their support for the development of VPET in Hong Kong. This year, we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong SAR, carrying the theme of "A New Era - Stability. Prosperity. Opportunity". I have no doubt that the VTC will continue to play an integral role in propelling our city to head forward in the new era. I wish the VTC a wonderful 40th anniversary and an ever bright future ahead.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam gave these remarks at the VTC 40th Anniversary Ceremony & Outstanding Alumni Award Presentation on June 13.