The Kwun Tong District Office, the Kwun Tong District Youth Programme Committee and the Kowloon Youths Joint Conference jointly organised the "Our Say in Youth Development - Kwun Tong Youth Forum" at the auditorium of the Christian Family Service Centre in Kwun Tong this afternoon (August 27).

     In President Xi Jinping's important speech delivered at the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on July 1, he pointed out that the Government should care about our young people, help them overcome the practical difficulties faced by them in education, employment, entrepreneurship and home ownership and create more opportunities for them to develop and flourish. The HKSAR Government attaches great importance to youth development, and strives to assist young people in overcoming hurdles in education, employment, entrepreneurship and home ownership so that the younger generation will see hope and opportunities for upward mobility. The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) has commenced preparatory work for the formulation of a youth development blueprint (the Blueprint), which will outline the vision, guiding principles and major directions of Hong Kong's overall youth development work. In accordance with evidence-based and target-oriented principles, respective targets of future work, specific actions, initiatives and indicators will be set accordingly.

     The Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, delivered a speech via video conferencing. "We will establish more effective channels to gauge the views of young people from different backgrounds in order to help them overcome hurdles in education, employment, entrepreneurship and home ownership. At the same time, we will put emphasis on nurturing young people's development to help them build positive values, and strengthen their sense of national pride and ownership, with a view to shaping them into a new generation with sense of responsibility and aspirations.", she said.

     The District Officer (Kwun Tong), Mr Andy Lam, said in his welcoming speech that the forum's objective was to offer a platform for young people in the district to express their views on how different sectors in society could assist them in overcoming the difficulties in education, employment, entrepreneurship and home ownership for consideration and adoption by the HYAB when formulating the Blueprint. At the same time, the organisers also hoped that participating young people could be inspired by the sharing of the distinguished speakers to stimulate their thinking on how their lives should be planned. He also thanked all the assisting organisations and supporting organisations and encouraged them to continue to offer advice on youth development.

     The key speakers of the forum included Emeritus Professor of the University of Hong Kong, Professor Cheng Kai-ming; Managing Director of the Worldwide Consulting Group Company Limited, Mr Armstrong Lee; Director and Chief Technology Officer of Gravity Capital Partners Company Limited, Dr Alan Lam and member of the Hong Kong Housing Authority, Mr Wilson Or, who shared their valuable advice on the areas of education, employment, entrepreneurship and home ownership respectively. In his speech, Professor Cheng said that instead of learning to get employed, young people should get themselves fully equipped with multitudinous skills for the complex and dynamic society. Mr Lee opined that young people should identify their targets clearly, avoid the "fishing expedition" approach and try to leave a unique impression when seeking employment. Dr Lam pointed out that there is enormous potential in the innovation and technology sector, and young people can achieve their dreams, unleash their creativity and potential along their way to success if they can grasp the opportunities. Mr Or commented that the new-term Government has been pragmatic in its governance. By removing red tape for policies and speeding up the identification of land for housing development, land and housing supply can be boosted to help young people get on the home-buying ladder and enhance upward mobility.

     Other guest speakers included Miss Sin Ka-long, Mr Wong Chi-keung, Miss So Ka-yu, Dr CA Tse, Professor Calvin Tse, Mr Wong Ting-pong and Mr Cheung Ki-tang. The guest speakers shared their views on a wide range of topics, including the selection of subjects and career planning, vocational and professional education and training, experiences on starting catering businesses and social enterprises, the development of youth hostels and home-buying ladder, etc.
 
     More than 200 participants attended the Forum. The Deputy Director-General of the Kowloon Sub-office of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, Mr Guo Changyong, officiated at the opening ceremony, while member of the Legislative Council (LegCo), Mr Ngan Man-yu was the host of the Forum. Other participants included LegCo members, Mr Tang Ka-piu and Mr Leung Yuk-wai, members of the Kwun Tong District Council, students in Kwun Tong District, young people and members of the public who are interested in issues related to youth development. Participants expressed their views actively and provided invaluable insights.

     The Government will continue to enhance youth work and work together with young people while addressing their needs in a timely manner.

Ends/Saturday, August 27, 2022
Issued at HKT 18:30

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