The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today launched, in Guangzhou, its first Mainland training programme designed to enhance the career development of entry-level executive officers (EOs).

Participating in the programme are 34 EOs from various bureaus and departments who have been working for the Government for about three years on average. Besides undertaking classroom training at Sun Yat-sen University, they will make various visits themed around regional collaboration and digital government, to locations including the Huangpu Institute of Materials and an urban operation integrated command centre in Yuexiu District.

This morning, Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung took the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link to Guangzhou with the participants.

At the programme’s opening ceremony, held at Sun Yat-sen University, she encouraged them to seize the opportunity to learn, and advised them to be mindful and observant in order to broaden their exposure. She added that she hoped they would make use of what they learnt to become more effective as officers, and to contribute to society and the country.

Stressing that the course represents a significant investment in human resources by the Government, Mrs Yeung said that the course will strengthen participants’ sense of belonging to and awareness of the country, so that they can help Hong Kong integrate into its overall development.

The programme is jointly organised by the Civil Service Bureau and Sun Yat-sen University, with support from the State Council Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office. Depending on the enrolment of new recruits, the bureau will arrange for about 200 entry-level EOs to attend the course every year.