Urgent call to enhance vocational education in Hong Kong schools

Local vocational and professional education schools must introduce vocational training courses earlier and permanently include vocational diploma programs in the senior secondary school curriculum, the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions said. 

This push follows a survey conducted between October and December last year, which polled 120 students engaged in vocational education.

Nearly 90 percent of respondents supported strengthening career planning for junior secondary students, while over 80 percent expressed interest in new vocational programs leading to bachelor’s degrees, prioritizing those with higher diplomas.

At a Tuesday press conference, Lawmaker Dennis Leung Tsz-wing highlighted the necessity of promoting vocational and professional training alongside academic education. 

“Schools should provide more opportunities for junior secondary students to engage in vocational education activities,” he said.

Leung proposed upgrading the grading scale for Applied Learning in the Diploma of Secondary Education exam from the current highest level 4 to level 5 to encourage enrollment in relevant courses.

The federation also collected feedback from trade unions and training institutions. 

Tang Wing-fong, executive director of the federation’s occupational retraining center, said that many frontline workers seek further education but struggle to balance work with full-time study. 

She called on the government to collaborate with trade unions to introduce part-time vocational degree programs, facilitating further education for working professionals.

(Ayra Wang)