Seize the attractive career opportunities in the construction industry

Hong Kong's construction industry has been actively promoting the use of artificial intelligence and digitization in recent years. A variety of activities have been organized to inspire new blood to join the industry. In particular, the Development Bureau and the Construction Industry Council (CIC) are leading the industry into an era of innovation and upgrading conventional processes with digital construction technology, especially in Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Modular Integrated Construction (MiC), both of which greatly enhance productivity, sustainability and safety.

Bright prospects with high pay 

Hong Kong's construction industry offers plenty of training and development opportunities, as well as clear paths for career progression. Whether it is studying construction-related courses or switching to construction jobs, CIC provides subsidies for aspiring members of the industry to develop their strengths through different pathways.

For example, students who have completed the three-year advanced diploma program can start off with a salary reaching $20,000, which is higher than the average starting salary of university graduates. After undergoing on-the-job training and taking construction-related degree courses, members of the industry can obtain a professional engineer qualification within seven years with a starting salary reaching $45,000. According to the latest 2022-2023 workers' salary released by the Hong Kong Construction Industry Federation of Trade Unions at the end of 2022, the pay for most types of construction work has seen increases with the highest pay rise reaching 12.5% and an average salary rate rise of 5.8%.

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Degree holder
Starting salary: $23K+
Around 5 years’ experience: $45K+
Around 10 years’ experience: $80-100K+

HKIC Diploma in Construction
Starting salary: $15K+
Around 5 years’ experience: $30K+
Around 10 years’ experience: $50K+

*Information provided by organizations in the industry for reference.

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In the next few years, the government is expected to gradually increase its capital works expenditure to more than HKD 100 billion per year, and taking into account private projects, the overall total project volume is estimated to increase to around HKD 300 billion per year. The government is embracing this opportunity by adopting a multi-faceted approach which includes strengthening training and recruitment, and promoting the adoption of advanced construction techniques and new technologies in the industry, so as to enhance the overall productivity of the construction industry.

“Design for Future, Build for Life” campaign to nurture future practitioners

To attract new blood into the industry, the Construction Industry Council, with the support of the Development Bureau, joined hands with more than 20 professional organizations, trade associations, trade unions and training institutions to launch a large-scale promotion campaign last year. Under the theme “Design for Future, Build for Life”, the campaign aims to encourage new talents to join the construction industry.

“Design for Future” refers not only to the construction industry building the future of Hong Kong, but also letting Hong Kong citizens and young people see the bright future of the construction industry. On the other hand, as the future development of the construction industry urgently requires professionals and the application of cutting-edge construction technology, the industry needs to nurture more new talents to meet this new trend.

As for “Build for Life”,  the CIC explains that this refers to introducing to the public that the construction industry provides not only job opportunities for practitioners, but also benefits to society through creating land and building houses and facilities that are closely related to people's lives while letting practitioners unleash their creativity.

The first phase of a series of promotional activities has been successfully launched since November last year. Apart from establishing the ‘Construction Industry Volunteer Team’ and the ‘Construction Industry Youth Network’, activities were held through three channels, including events held in a diversity of platforms, STEAM education and promotional work in schools, and community engagement activities. It is hoped that these activities can help the general public deepen their understanding of the construction industry.

The campaign also includes the launch of the project website, social media that target young people, the beautification of industrial site hoarding panels, TV promotional films, TV infotainment programs, and decoration activities in the community. In addition, the Development Bureau, Education Bureau, the CIC and the Public Works Department have worked together with professional groups to jointly organize field trips and establish online learning resources to bring STEAM knowledge related to the construction industry to the next generation through schools, so as to nurture talents in this field from an early age.

“Master Talk: M+” seminar to inspire young students

Attended by 50 primary school students, the “Master Talk: M+” seminar was held at the end of last year with representatives from M+ and Gammon Construction Limited sharing their experiences and objectives in building the M+ museum. They also explained to the students how the architectural concept was conceived from scratch so as to educate participants on the construction procedure and views of the industry.

TV programs and advertising campaign to bring out the industry’s appeal

The construction industry partnered with TVB to produce the TV program “Design for Future” with the aim of introducing the diversified range of jobs and career ladders in the construction industry. The program featured real people and true events, with current practitioners working in the construction industry to present a true picture of their work and thoughts.

The first large-scale TV commercial of the industry’s promotion campaign was first broadcast on major TV stations in Hong Kong in November last year. The first commercial features local celebrity Johnny Hui, who once worked in the construction industry. Through creative split-screen special effects, the commercial shows how the construction industry can bring benefits in ‘urban renewal and renewal’, ‘digitalization of architectural design’, ‘innovative construction methods’, ‘infrastructure to improve the traffic’, ‘building a vibrant harbourfront’ and ‘creating living spaces’.

After launching wave after wave of exciting programs, the campaign stepped into the middle of 2023 with the debut of the second large-scale TV commercial. It features Kaki Sham, a local celebrity who also was once a practitioner in the construction industry.

The concept of the second commercial is based on the 1987 classic for recruiting apprentices of the then Construction Industry Training Authority. Kaki Sham, nicknamed "Grandpa", plays the grandson of the protagonist of the classic version of the commercial. Traveling through the classic commercial, the two generations of "grandpa", both working in the construction industry, interact with each other saying in unison the same classic dialogue: "And the pay is hahaha!".

The continuation of the classic commercial highlights the great sense of achievement and generous salary of the construction industry that has continued to progress since the 1980s. Moreover, with technology in the industry advancing at a rapid pace, working in construction continues to be “an attractive job” in the minds of a few generations.

A rewarding career not to be missed

The construction industry has made a significant contribution towards Hong Kong becoming an internationally renowned city. Thanks to the solid foundation laid by the construction industry, Hong Kong's economy and society have made remarkable achievements, and are well placed for future developments. In recent years, the government has formulated Construction Industry 2.0 to maintain and strengthen Hong Kong's leading position in construction, while promoting the industry's sustainable development and long-term growth. It is hoped that young people can seize the opportunities in the coming golden era of the construction industry and grasp the many opportunities that the industry presents.

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“Design for Future, Build for Life”
A promotion campaign by the Hong Kong construction industry

Visit www.constructionhk.org