Read More
+1
The Hong Kong Jockey Club celebrated the early successes of a major youth empowerment initiative this week, hosting an exhibition to highlight student achievements under its HK$440 million program designed to boost upward social mobility and smooth the transition from school to the workforce.
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT
The exhibition gathered students, educators, and community partners to reflect on a year of personal growth and career exploration facilitated by the JC YUP project.
Launched last year to align with the government’s broader youth development strategies, the initiative seeks to guide young people through critical career and life junctures.
During the opening ceremony, advisory committee convenor Edward Yau and Jockey Club charities head Winnie Ying emphasized the importance of targeted community investments to help the next generation build confidence.
Ying noted that creating these early moments of pride serves as a crucial engine for long-term personal development, while Yau drew on his own background to urge students to embrace challenges and explore diverse opportunities.
Operating across fifty secondary schools and expected to benefit roughly thirty thousand students over five years, the project is structured around three distinct developmental milestones.
It begins by encouraging Form One students to take on personal challenges to build self-esteem.
As participants mature, the program introduces them to various workplace environments to broaden their understanding of potential career paths.
Finally, it offers a two-year professional traineeship for young adults entering the workforce, effectively bridging the gap between classroom learning and full-time employment.
The customized initiative relies on a network of twenty-five collaborative partners, spanning educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and private businesses.
Beyond financial backing, the Jockey Club has actively participated in the practical training aspect of the program.
The organization's human resources department recently hosted several Form Four students for a week-long immersive internship, allowing them to experience different corporate functions and workplace environments firsthand.
The JC YUP initiative represents a core component of a larger HK$1.4 billion youth funding pledge announced during the organization's 140th anniversary.
It joins a wider portfolio of ongoing philanthropic efforts by the club, which heavily supports government-led youth festivals, mental well-being campaigns, and anti-poverty mentorship schemes aimed at uplifting underprivileged youth across the city.
