Gov't measures nurture IT talent

(May 24, 2017)

The Government has collaborated with the information technology industry and academia to develop measures to boost the supply of IT talent.
 
Acting Secretary for Innovation & Technology Dr David Chung made the statement to legislators today, saying the Government has commissioned the Vocational Training Council to release the biennial Report on the Manpower Survey of the Information Technology Sector to assess the IT industry's manpower supply and demand.
 
The report said the IT sector maintained steady labour growth, with 87,794 people employed in the industry in 2016, an increase of 5.8% on 2014.
 
Dr Chung said the Government has been committed to improving public services through the use of IT, adding 388 new IT posts in the civil service from 2013 to 2018.
 
To nurture IT talent, the Government has encouraged secondary students to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics by updating the STEM curriculum and providing additional resources to schools.
 
The Innovation & Technology Bureau has also launched the Enriched IT Programme in Secondary Schools to boost students' IT exposure outside the formal curriculum.
 
To encourage university students to join the IT sector upon graduation, the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer has launched the "IT - You Study, We Hire!" campaign to help them understand the industry's career prospects.