Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki (front row, sixth left), Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen (front row, sixth right) and company representatives officiate at the kick-off ceremony of the Scheme on Corporate Summer Internship on the Mainland and Overseas 2023 on June 5, 2023. (PHOTO / HKSAR GOVT)

The Hong Kong government on Thursday launched a new round scheme of corporate summer internships on the Chinese mainland and overseas in collaboration with 25 large corporations to provide the city’s young people with internship placements.

The Scheme on Corporate Summer Internship on the Mainland and Overseas 2024 is aimed at cultivating a cohort of young talent with a good understanding of the country's development and a global perspective.

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“It also provides young people with exposure to the work culture in large corporates in different parts of the world and an opportunity to establish interpersonal networks, which will benefit their future career development,” the government said in a statement.

The internship covers industries such as financial services, innovation and technology, logistics, property development, construction, retail, hospitality and utilities

The applicants should be post-secondary students, including sub-degree, undergraduate or postgraduate programs, holding a valid Hong Kong identity card.

The internships will take place between June and September and last for at least six weeks. 

The internship placements are offered in multiple mainland provinces and cities including various mainland cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Chongqing, while some are in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

They cover different industries such as financial services, innovation and technology, logistics, property development, construction, retail, hospitality and utilities.

Participating companies will sponsor the interns for major expenses including transportation and accommodation costs, and assign dedicated personnel to provide training and support to the interns.

Interested young people should submit their applications online on or before March 11.

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Each candidate can apply for up to three companies in a single application. On receiving the applications, the participating firms will contact suitable applicants directly for the assessment and selection process, and make placement arrangements for selected interns thereupon.

In his 2023 Policy Address, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu emphasized that the special administrative region government would continue its efforts in promoting youth development. This includes implementing various youth exchange and internship programs on the mainland and overseas to provide suitable opportunities for young people of different development stages and backgrounds.