The first batch of 207 Hong Kong engineers from the public sector, consultants, and contractors passed the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) engineering "Professional Title" evaluation and obtained corresponding engineering professional qualifications on the Mainland, the Development Bureau said today.

They obtained qualifications including the ranks of professorate senior engineer, senior engineer, engineer and assistant engineer.

The bureau explained that "Professional Title" is a unique evaluation system for professional qualifications adopted by the Mainland, which is an important benchmark for evaluating the skills and qualification levels of professionals and provides a basis for construction enterprises to recruit and promote talent.

Speaking at the celebration ceremony organised by the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers today, Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn said the Development Bureau has been dovetailing with the National 14th Five-Year Plan on the strategy of high-quality development of the GBA.

She said the bureau is committed to driving Hong Kong's construction and engineering sectors to seize opportunities to pursue development in the Mainland cities of the GBA, thereby better integrating into the national development.

Ms Linn noted that the successful completion of the first pilot assessment batch of engineering "Professional Title" qualifications creates more opportunities and favourable conditions for the construction industry to expand the territory of professional services.

It reflects the country's support and care for Hong Kong professionals, and allows Hong Kong professionals to better contribute to the country's development, she added.

Due to differences in systems between Hong Kong and the Mainland, it was not easy for Hong Kong professionals to apply for a Mainland "Professional Title" qualification in the past.

With the joint efforts of the Guangdong and Hong Kong governments, a new evaluation mechanism of this qualification for Hong Kong professionals was established last year, and implemented as a pilot scheme in five engineering disciplines - civil engineering, geotechnical, highway, electrical and measurement, and control and instrumentation.

The bureau said the pilot mechanism for evaluation of "Professional Title" qualifications is an innovative mechanism for Hong Kong professionals to acquire such qualifications on the Mainland, and represents a major breakthrough in the convergence of the rules between the two places in the area of professional qualifications.

It will help Hong Kong professionals gain recognition of their skill levels and qualifications in the Mainland market, thereby creating favourable conditions for their development on the Mainland.

The bureau added that it will continue to maintain close collaboration with relevant Mainland authorities and co-ordinate the local construction sector to take forward the relevant work.

It hopes to regularise the pilot evaluation mechanism of engineering "Professional Title" qualifications in mid-2025 and extend the mechanism to other construction‑related professions with the right conditions, such as surveying, architecture, etc as set out in the 2024 Policy Address.