Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki today chaired the fifth meeting of the third-term Human Resources Planning Commission, where the Employees Retraining Board (ERB) and the Census & Statistics Department reported their work progress.

The 2024 Policy Address announced the reform of the ERB to enhance its role and positioning by devising skills-based training programmes and strategies for the entire workforce to enhance the competitiveness of the local labour force through promoting continuous learning for all. At the meeting, the ERB briefed the Human Resources Planning Commission on the review outcomes and recommendations.

The reforms will be implemented in two phases. The ERB is now preparing to roll out short-term measures in early 2025, including lifting the restriction on educational attainment of trainees, increasing the total number of annual training places by at least 15,000, strengthening collaboration with tertiary institutions and leading enterprises as well as enhancing services in career planning and job-matching.

For medium and long-term measures concerning the skills training framework, structure, operation mode, and consolidation of training resources, the ERB will submit proposals to the Government in end-2025.

At the meeting, members of the commission offered their views to the ERB on its reform.

Separately, representatives of the Census & Statistics Department briefed commission members on the latest situation regarding Hong Kong’s population and labour force, and the projected population outlook for the next two decades.

The department pointed out that the current-term Government has introduced various measures to encourage childbirth as well as policies to attract talent and import labour, which will provide important impetus for population growth.

In the face of an ageing population, the projected inflow of One-way Permit holders and outside talent would help replenish the younger population, alleviate pressures on labour supply, and slow down the pace of ageing, it added.

Commission members acknowledged the challenges of Hong Kong’s population and workforce in the future, and supported the Government to introduce response measures.