Engaging and developing young talent for the future workforce

Transcription

1 Engaging and developing young talent for the future workforce A practical guide for business March 2015 An initiative of:

2 What is the issue? Skills shortages affect a number of industries in Hong Kong including construction, engineering, healthcare, hospitality and ICT. A lack of skilled and qualified manpower can push up costs, pose a risk to product or service quality, and slow down sales and business growth. Therefore, skills shortages may negatively impact Hong Kong s future prosperity and competitiveness. On the other hand, many young people in Hong Kong feel frustrated by an apparent lack of suitable career options. Competition is fierce for jobs in the most popular sectors and roles, while good opportunities in other industries may be perceived as less desirable. Businesses can play an active role in countering negative perceptions early and nurturing young talent for careers in their industry. Drawing on best practice from across a range of sectors in Hong Kong, this guide sets out a number of approaches companies are implementing to attract young talent to their business and sector. The approaches cover three main areas: awareness-raising and challenging perceptions in communities; supporting external learning and preemployment experience; and in-work training, progression and rewards. Our approach A focus group was held in December 2014 to discuss this issue with Hong Kong businesses and organisations. A series of 12 in-depth company interviews were held between January and March 2015, alongside desk research and supplementary discussions with experts on youth employment and skills. A series of good practices have been identified which are summarised in this report, together with a selection of company snapshots as illustrative examples. The full case studies will be available on the Sustainable Business HK website in April. About Sustainable Business HK Sustainable Business HK is a new initiative of HKCSS and Caring Company, launched in March We focus on issues that are important to Hong Kong society and essential to maintaining business success. We believe we can achieve more when businesses and other stakeholders act collaboratively to address common challenges and share best practices through our network. Stay up-to-date with our latest research and programmes at:

3 What are companies doing? Awareness-raising in communities Career talks and workshops. A chance to describe your industry, the career opportunities it offers and routes in. Explaining to secondary school students which qualifications are needed can help inspire them to work hard at subjects such as maths and science, and to choose relevant degree subjects. Career workshops help bring your industry to life, with practical activities allowing students to experience work-related tasks. Workplace visits and job shadowing. An opportunity for young people to see the work environment first-hand, speak to colleagues and gain an authentic view of what working in the sector entails. Job shadowing involves young people being paired with an experienced member of staff, usually for a day or more, although some schemes last for months. Participants can ask questions and see how the staff member interacts with other colleagues and/or customers. Reputation-building activities. Challenging the negative perceptions of both young people and their adult influencers, who may consider certain roles less prestigious or desirable than those in other key sectors in Hong Kong. Initiatives include promoting role models within your industry, nominating staff for external awards, working with the media to highlight the attractions of different roles, and directly engaging young people through sponsoring and/or participating in community-based youth projects. Dragonair - Youth Aviation Academy Microsoft - GirlSpark Structured aviation education including facility visits, workshops and a 9-month certified programme to help young people explore the industry and future career opportunities. Beneficiaries gain exposure to different job roles such as flight crew, air traffic control and ground operators. Participants are targeted through schools, universities and youth organisations such as the Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps. The Academy has engaged some 1,100 young people since its launch. A 3-day leadership camp for female university students from different disciplines, organised by Microsoft together with The Women s Foundation and Ivey Business School. Students learn about ICT industry trends and opportunities, participate in a business case competition, hear from industry and community leaders, and develop a cross-campus peer network. Following the camp, internships are offered to selected students.

4 External learning and pre-employment experience Vocational training. Targeted at secondary-school leavers who do not wish to continue with academic study. Vocational training involves both theoretical and practical training in technical and specialist skills, with training lasting months or years over various modules. As an employer you can support training providers in many ways, including course planning and curriculum design, to ensure they deliver quality training that meets the needs of your industry. Sponsorship and scholarships. Financial support for vocational training or university study helps reduce barriers to participation, particularly for trainees and students from lower-income families. To achieve the greatest positive impact on your talent pipeline, support programmes that are most relevant to your sector. To nurture existing employees into more skilled and/or senior roles, you may also wish to provide study sponsorship to help them take external courses. Internships. Preparing students for employment by providing real work experience and responsibility. Internships typically last two to three months over the summer with technical and soft skills training, rotating across different departments. Target students going into their final year of study, who will soon be applying for jobs, and maintain contact after the internship ends, for example by inviting them to company events. Hip Hing Construction - Scholarship and Internship Programmes The Link REIT - Summer Trainee Programme Scholarships are awarded to students at four Hong Kong universities in relevant subjects such as civil engineering, building services engineering and quantity surveying. Students going into their final year are required to undertake an 8-week summer internship, where they are assigned to a real work project in line with their expertise. The interns are later kept informed about upcoming graduate employment opportunities. The Link offers summer internships to more than 30 undergraduates each year. Placements last 6 to 10 weeks and outstanding trainees are shortlisted for the company s Management Trainee Programme. In addition, to increase the pipeline of executive talent, The Link initiated Hong Kong Polytechnic University s Executive Diploma in Shopping Mall Management, and it continues to be a strong supporter of the programme.

5 In-work training, progression and rewards Supported entry-level roles. Many entry-level positions, for example in customer service roles, do not require technical training, but potential employees who have yet to experience the world of work may lack confidence and require some additional support. Provide training to impart relevant knowledge and soft skills before they begin work, and assign more experienced colleagues to oversee and support them in work. When working with young people from challenging backgrounds, consider engaging an NGO to provide personal and social support. Apprenticeships and technical training. Apprenticeship programmes allow trainees to learn by doing. They usually require vocational qualifications or are delivered alongside vocational training programmes. Apprentices and technical trainees are supported by experienced mentors and face examinations to progress to qualified roles. If your sector does not yet offer such programmes, consider establishing one - either independently or with peers in your industry. Graduate and management training. Graduate trainee programmes allow university-educated new recruits to progress more quickly into senior technical and specialised roles. They typically involve placements across several departments over one or two years, to allow trainees to understand which roles best suit their skills and interests and to enable high-potential management trainees to see how the business works as a whole. Quality employment. Having invested so much in them, it is important not to lose talented young employees to your competitors or another industry. Remuneration and benefits such as medical cover are, of course, important. However, young people increasingly value factors such as work-life balance, flexible working and inclusive workplace cultures. Invite young employees to offer their insights and show that their contribution is valued. Airport Authority Hong Kong - Youth Airport Ambassador Programme Intimex Business Solutions Training for Junior Staff The Programme provides school-leavers with mentored in-work training in customer service roles at the airport to help build their skills and confidence. Extensive training on airport operation is provided, as well as soft skills training such as on appearance and etiquette. Almost 1,000 young people have benefited since 2002, with 70 percent continuing to find employment within the airport community. For a small company in the competitive world of online, staff recruitment and retention is a critical issue for Intimex. The company creates 3 to 4 new junior positions each year and provides bespoke in-house training in skills such as web programming and design. Senior colleagues provide on-the-job support and mentoring. To date, more than 30 young people have benefited.

6 5 Steps to Success 1. Identify your current and future skills shortages, and the reasons why they occur. Which are the roles that need filling? Why are more young people not entering those roles? Where is the pipeline weakest perceptions and interest, skills and qualifications, or recruitment and retention? 2. Build programmes to address those weaknesses. Try to support young people throughout their progression journey from school to work. Dedicate resources to the programme, drive it from the top of the company and reward managers for success, e.g. financially. 3. Partner with schools, universities, youth groups, NGOs or others. Establish clear objectives and the role of each organisation, whilst allowing sufficient flexibility to respond to changing needs and circumstances. Communicate regularly to build mutual understanding and trust. 4. Collaborate with others in your industry including suppliers, competitors or industry associations to increase the scale and impact of your programmes. This is particularly helpful to SMEs, which often have limited resources to establish their own programmes. 5. Evaluate your programmes regularly and modify them accordingly. What do the young people who go through your programmes think of them? Are they gaining the skills you require? Is your talent pipeline stronger? Consider engaging an external, independent evaluator.

7 Actions to take forward We are appealing for all Caring Companies and Caring Organisations to do the following as a sign of your commitment to helping to address this important issue: SMEs: Establish at least one initiative to help young people explore or prepare for a career your industry, e.g. workplace visits, internship opportunities or inwork training. This will help bring talent into your industry and possibly your company. Corporations: Develop at least one initiative at each stage, i.e. awarenessraising, external learning and in-work training and progression. By supporting young people through their journey from school to work, you can increase the chance that they will choose a career in your industry. Industry associations: Draw together businesses in your sector to scale up and co-ordinate initiatives, e.g. career talks, apprenticeships or university scholarships. Doing so will increase the number of young people affected and reduce the burden on individual companies. For more information and to register your commitment, please contact simon.lee@hkcss.org.hk.

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