The Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, today (March 17) attended the opening ceremonies of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Vocational Education Park and Vocational and Professional Education Services (Shenzhen) Company Limited of the Vocational Training Council (VTC) to witness the development of vocational and professional education and training (VPET) in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), turning to a new chapter.
 
     Speaking at the events, Dr Choi said that Guangdong-Hong Kong co-operation in VPET development serves as an important driving force that supports high-quality development of the GBA and Hong Kong's alignment with national development strategies. Guangdong and Hong Kong have launched various collaborative VPET projects, including teacher training, student exchanges, joint education programmes and in-service training for Hong Kong enterprises in Guangdong Province, laying a solid foundation.
 
     The VTC and Shenzhen Polytechnic (SZPT) have signed multiple agreements in the past few years. They have achieved breakthroughs in operating joint education programmes, training and internship programmes as well as related work, benefitting many students.
 
     The Vocational Education Park, which was launched today, and Vocational and Professional Education Services (Shenzhen) Company Limited, the VTC's first presence on the Mainland, will adopt an innovative operation mode for collaboration on vocational education, promoting further partnership between the VTC and its Mainland counterparts in provision of joint education programmes and the development of training projects. They will also provide more VPET internship opportunities to Hong Kong students to help them understand and prepare for the latest developments in the GBA.
 
     Dr Choi said that the establishment of the VTC's first Mainland office at the Vocational Education Park promotes co-operation on VPET between Guangdong and Hong Kong. The Government will support the VTC to continuously upgrade itself, to become the VPET hub in the GBA, and to explore more collaboration and innovation opportunities for students in Guangdong and Hong Kong, leveraging Hong Kong's advantages as an international city.
 
     She believed that the VTC and SZPT would make the best use of the quality facilities of the Vocational Education Park and continuously promote VPET development in the GBA.
 
     Dr Choi returned from Shenzhen to Hong Kong this afternoon.

Ends/Friday, March 17, 2023
Issued at HKT 16:40

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