Hong Kong is undergoing a phase of economic transformation, as the city sets its sights on ushering in a knowledge-based era. Knowledge includes pure theories and practical knowledge. As such, practical education is imperative to facilitating Hong Kong’s economic transformation and improving its overall competitiveness.

In Hong Kong, there are many practical-education options available to students and employees who seek full-time or part-time programs. Some popular choices comprise practical programs run by universities, vocational schools, technical institutes and apprenticeship programs.

Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU) was awarded a grant of over HK$37 million ($4.74 million) from the Enhancement and Start-up Grant Scheme for Self-financing Post-secondary Education of the Education Bureau, to set up an industrial center for new industrialization, develop a new program, and enhance the existing programs. HKMU President Paul Lam Kwan-sing said he believed that the establishment of an industrial center will complement the government’s policy of promoting new industrialization and help nurture talent for the industry.

To support the development of the new industry-responsive program, the proposed industrial center will feature an intelligent construction technologies facility to provide students with hands-on experience and help them acquire specific knowledge about advanced intelligent building technologies.

The Hong Kong College of Technology (HKCT) is a practical-based knowledge center. For over 75 years, its curricula have been evolving continuously to adapt to the changing demands of society. From the skilled labor training in the ’60s, professional education in the ’70s and ’80s, and retraining in the ’90s, its programs extend to postsecondary education past the millennium.

HKCT is committed to professional career education and provides a variety of programs with an emphasis on applied skills. One of its missions is to offer distinguished professional courses according to social needs and international standards with a strong link to industry.

Vocational schools offer hands-on training in specific trades, such as plumbing, carpentry and electrical work. These programs typically take between six months and two years to complete and provide students with the skills they need to enter the workforce immediately after graduation.

The government has promoted art tech in recent years, prompting several higher education institutions to offer courses. The Hong Kong Design Institute is one such institution, teaching virtual production through its Higher Diploma in Arts Technology program, covering skills such as preproduction and previsualization, real-time data visualization, and scene modeling. This prompts deliberation about the importance of building bridges between higher education and industry so future creative talent can learn the right skill sets and keep pace with time.

Finally, apprenticeship programs combine on-the-job training with classroom instruction, allowing students to learn from experienced professionals in their chosen fields. These programs can take anywhere from one to four years to complete, depending on the industry and the level of training required.

Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and cloud services unit of Alibaba Group, has launched a credit course with the business school of the University of Hong Kong to nurture local talent. This course, called “Cloud Computing: Essential and Application in Entrepreneurship”, will enable students “to experience real-life scenarios involving cloud technology”.

Another way to strengthen the connection between education institutions and local industries is through internships and work placements. By providing students with opportunities to gain practical experience in the workplace, they can develop the skills and knowledge required by employers and better understand the challenges faced by local industries. Internships and work placements can also help build relationships between education institutions and local industries, which can lead to further collaboration and partnerships in the future.

In addition, education institutions can offer customized training programs for local industries to address specific skills gaps or needs. These programs can be tailored to the requirements of individual companies or sectors, and can provide employees with the skills and knowledge required to stay competitive in the global market. A good example is the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI), which is a statutory organization with a vision to be a world-class technology developer and an enabler to enrich lives as well as a mission to enhance Hong Kong’s competitiveness through applied research. Since 2021, MTR has allocated approximately HK$50 million to embark on collaboration projects with ASTRI, including the use of precise automatic optical technology to monitor railway safety, joint research and development of a portable escalator gap clearance inspection tool, and application of digital solutions for enhancing the operation efficiency of maintenance centers.

One of the factors that hinders the development of practical education is the mindset of parents, who are inclined to think that the top students should go to grammar schools and then enter top-tier universities to study medicine, law, finance, etc, and who look down on practical subjects. For Hong Kong to pick up its momentum in economic recovery, the Education Bureau should carry out more promotion programs to introduce the importance of practical education. The schools should ensure that vocational and professional education courses can keep up with the trend of technological development and meet the actual needs of the industry while chiming in with the interest of young people. At the same time, the industry must strengthen cooperation with institutions by, for example, providing scholarships and more internship opportunities.

In promoting practical education, the Shenzhen Technology University (SZTU) is an illustrative example. SZTU is geared to meet the urgent demands from the advanced-manufacturing industry. It aims to cultivate high-quality applied talents with a craftsman’s spirit. By learning from the German model, SZTU will implement a modern apprenticeship system in teaching.

All in all, Hong Kong has no room for complacency, as its neighboring cities are catching up. The enhancement of practical education is thus a vital force to drive Hong Kong to be more competitive.

The author is the former head of financial management (general manager) of Bank of China (HK) Ltd, and director and deputy general manager of Nanyang Commercial Bank Ltd.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.