The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Joshua Law, today (August 8) met with some of the undergraduate students with disabilities participating in a government summer internship scheme at the Central Government Offices to understand their experience. Mr Law encouraged them to unleash their potential and contribute to the community after graduation.
 
     Since 2016, the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) has launched an internship scheme for students with disabilities to enable them to gain work experience before joining the labour market.
 
     Thirty-two undergraduate students with disabilities from seven local universities joined the summer internship scheme this year and were assigned to 15 government bureaux and departments for an eight-week internship.
 
     Mr Law said, "The internship scheme is beneficial to students with disabilities who are preparing to enter the labour market. It also allows our colleagues in the civil service to better appreciate the talents and potential of persons with disabilities.
 
     "In view of the positive feedback from the interns after launching the scheme last year, the CSB has increased the number of placements for undergraduate students by 60 per cent to 32 this year.
 
     "This internship scheme is different from other government internship schemes in that training elements are infused into the scheme. Apart from providing appropriate training and briefings for the interns so as to deepen their knowledge on the work of their respective departments, departments also assign colleagues as mentors to assist the interns in adapting to the working environment and coping with work challenges."
 
     Miss Tim Tsang, an undergraduate majoring in English education, was posted to the Official Languages Division of the CSB where she provided support for translation of documents. The placement afforded her an opportunity to apply what she has learnt. Miss Tsang took the view that with suitable assistance, persons with disabilities are equally competent to work in different positions.
 
     Miss Tsang said that the Government provides adequate support to its employees with disabilities and she also thanked her colleagues for their guidance. Her mentor, Miss Felicity Wong, said Miss Tsang had a proactive and responsible work attitude, adding that Miss Tsang's performance had in no way been affected by her physical disability.
 
     Another intern, Miss Joby Wong, was assigned to work at the Labour and Welfare Bureau, where she provided executive support to consultative committees and shared her views from the user angle on such areas as the promotion of the employment of persons with disabilities and the provision of barrier-free facilities.
 
     Miss Wong's mentor, Mr Winsor Leung, said that Miss Wong made him understand more about the potential of persons with disabilities, who, he believed, can overcome their obstacles with suitable support.

Ends/Tuesday, August 8, 2017
Issued at HKT 11:50

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