Students enrolled in the Tencent Hong Kong-Macao Elite Project in July started their internship at the internet giant’s headquarters across the border after 14-day quarantines. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
As the coronavirus pandemic dries up the job market, employees and university students in Hong Kong alike have found internships offered by enterprises increasingly valuable in polishing up their knowledge and skills to prepare themselves for challenging careers ahead.
Major enterprises in Guangdong say they expect more professionals from the two special administrative regions to join them in the future to complement their domestic and international operations
Wong Hiu-ying, a sophomore, rose to the occasion, wasting no time in snapping up a six-week internship with Chinese mainland tech giant Tencent Holdings despite the mandatory two-week quarantine she had to undergo on both sides of the boundary.
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“It’s very difficult to get an intern job at the moment in view of the pandemic. I had to send out a string of resumes to companies in multiple industries, hoping to get an offer,” she said. “So when Tencent launched the Hong Kong-Macao Elite Project program, many of my classmates applied,” said Wong, who is majoring in both computer science and business administration.
After two rounds of online interviews, the good news came through — Wong was offered the opportunity to work at Tencent’s headquarters in Shenzhen. “It’s a dream come true for me — a chance to work for an internet giant,” she said.
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She persisted in taking up the internship despite the mandatory quarantine requirements and found the experience rewarding. “I didn’t anticipate the company trusting us so much although we’re just interns. It inspired me to be more proactive at work,” Wong said.
As the pandemic eases on the mainland, cities in Guangdong province have been offering summer jobs and internships for Hong Kong and Macao students, who are eager to grasp the opportunities.
Major enterprises in Guangdong say they expect more professionals from the two special administrative regions to join them in the future to complement their domestic and international operations.
Hong Kong’s unemployment rate soared to a 15-year high of 6.2 percent during the April-to-June period, piling pressure on fresh graduates to find jobs.
Macao’s jobless rate is also on the rise, hitting 2.5 percent in the second quarter of this year — the highest in eight years.
Macao authorities have rolled out various programs to help graduates move on. The city’s Directorate of Services for Labor Affairs has launched a workplace experience plan titled “Overcoming the Difficulties Caused by the Pandemic and Creating Better Job Prospects”, which provides more than 1,800 job vacancies at local companies.
In Hong Kong, the government has launched the Employment Support Scheme — a salary subsidy of up to HK$9,000 for each employee through their employers to help them retain employees in hard times.
Mainland enterprises and institutions are also extending a helping hand to youths in seeking employment. Tencent initiated its Hong Kong-Macao Elite Project in March, drawing more than 1,000 applicants within a week.
Leehom Li, director of Hong Kong and Macao public affairs at Tencent, said governments and educational institutions in Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macao have extended support for the initiative.
All the interviews were conducted online, and Tencent had even considered switching to an internet-based internship due to the pandemic.
Li recalled that after the students had gone through virus tests and the mandatory 14-day quarantine, the internship kicked off in late July.
“Hong Kong and Macao students bring us diversity and become an essential part of our internationalism and creativity,” he said, adding he expects more students and employees from the two SARs to join them in future.
Tencent unveiled its campus recruitment plan on Aug 6, offering up to 5,000 positions to applicants worldwide — an increase of more than 40 percent over last year.
Cai Qiaoqiao, manager of Tencent Campus Recruitment, said more than 820 students from Hong Kong and Macao universities have been working or taking up their internships at the company in the past three years.
Zhuhai’s Hengqin New Area is also becoming a popular internship destination. Saint Ke, a postgraduate student of Macao University of Science and Technology, said internship opportunities in Macao are few this year so he looked to the mainland. “I could really put into practice what I’ve learned in school,” said the student, who majored in movie management.
The Administrative Committee of Hengqin New Area, which organized the program, said it received more than 3,000 applications from Macao students, and about 100 of them began their monthlong internships on Hengqin Island in July.
So far, more than 40 employers, including local government departments, State-owned companies, joint ventures and private enterprises, have offered internship opportunities this summer, covering financial services, technology, traditional Chinese medicine and cultural industries. Li Weihui, deputy Party chief of Hengqin New Area, said the pressure for university students to secure internships or job opportunities has increased due to the pandemic. The program is aimed at providing Macao students with more choices to pave the way for their future.
The program will also help build and create a platform for cooperation and exchanges among young talents in Guangdong and Macao.
Guangzhou’s Nansha district started a summer vacation internship program for Macao and Hong Kong students, including those from universities in the two SARs and Hong Kong and Macao youths studying on the mainland.
About 120 interns have so far joined the six-week program. The district authorities also coordinated an employment program to offer above 100 full-time jobs for Hong Kong and Macao graduates this year.
