Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn today visited Guangzhou where she called on the Department of Housing & Urban-Rural Development of Guangdong Province (DHURDGP) and the Human Resources & Social Security Department of Guangdong Province (GDHRSSD) and signed the Letter of Intent (LOI) on the Development of Talents for the Construction Sector with GDHRSSD.

The meeting today deepened the co-operation in the construction sectors in Guangdong and Hong Kong on various fronts, thereby supporting the high quality development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).

Ms Linn met DHURDGP Director-General Zhang Yong. The Development Bureau (DEVB) and DHURDGP signed the LOI on Strengthening Guangdong-Hong Kong Cooperation in Construction & Related Engineering Sectors last year and since then have achieved progress of various collaboration projects under the LOI.

Today's meeting covered exchanges on strengthening and extending collaboration in areas including continued facilitation for Hong Kong construction enterprises and professionals to set up businesses in the GBA, adoption of Hong Kong's project management model for selected suitable GBA projects, fostering experience sharing between Guangdong and Hong Kong, collaboration in formulation of standards, etc and customs clearance facilitation for modules of modular integrated construction.

Ms Linn thanked the DHURDGP for their continued and strong support for the work of the DEVB, fostering exchanges and collaboration of the construction sectors in the two places.

Afterwards, Ms Linn met GDHRSSD Director-General Du Minqi and signed the LOI on the Development of Talents for the Construction Sector.

She said the signing of the LOI marked the new heights reached in propelling collaboration in nurturing construction talent.

In future, the DEVB and GDHRSSD will take forward the recognition of Professional Titles for various construction professions, the formulation of GBA Standards for construction skilled workers and implementation of the “One Examination, Multiple Certification” arrangement, with a view to enhancing and deepening collaboration in training quality and technical expertise.

This will enable Hong Kong to, through strengthening the connectivity within and outside the GBA, better leverage its unique advantages in attracting, gathering and nurturing talent, thus facilitating Hong Kong's construction industry to contribute to the high-quality development of the GBA.

The development chief also took the opportunity to visit Guangdong City Technician College to learn about its latest development as a training base for the WorldSkills Competition.

Ms Linn returned to Hong Kong this afternoon after the visit.