Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki today convened the first meeting of the second-term Partners' Board under the Strive & Rise Programme where board members were briefed on the programme's first round and the progress of the second round.

Mr Chan said that with the implementation of the scheme's first round as well as the advice of the first-term partners' board and other stakeholders, the second round has introduced new elements.

They include extending target mentees to cover Secondary 1 to 4 students, increasing the number of mentees from 2,800 to 4,000, enriching the variety of group activity sessions such as organising more Mainland study and exchange tours, and introducing mentorship groups.

He encouraged young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to seize the diversified opportunities under the programme to get ahead.

Board members were pleased to learn that for the programme’s second round, over 200 enterprises and organisations are offering support, including nomination of mentors and arrangement of group activities, with 29 Star Mentors having joined in.

With the joint efforts of the Government, central and district o-ordinators, mentorship pairing and arrangement of orientation, training and group activity sessions are taken forward in an orderly manner for mentees of the second round to broaden their horizons, reinforce their self-confidence and strive for upward mobility.

The members also noted that upon the successful conclusion of the first round of the scheme at the end of last year, all graduates have automatically become members of the Strive & Rise Alumni Club.

The Government is working with the alumni co-ordinator and internship organiser to line up activities for the mentees, covering financial education, career and life planning, and leadership development, encouraging them to continue self-enhancement.

In addition, a Group Activity Advisory Committee has been established to collect feedback from mentors on group activities, provide advice on group activities and review their implementation. The committee has held its first meeting to discuss group activities in the second round of the programme.

The Strive & Rise Programme was introduced in 2022 as the first initiative under the Government's targeted poverty alleviation strategy via collaboration with the business sector and the community to help secondary school students from underprivileged families to set goals for their future and strive for upward mobility.