Youth Hong Kong V4N2

a quarterly journal from the hongkong federation of youth groups
June 2012
Volume 4 Number 2
Youth
HONG KONG
Job hunting
Real choice
or limited options
YOUTH SPEAK Earning, prospects, ful lment INTERVIEWS Herman Chan Careers and Placement at HKU Stanley Ng Choosing paths, changing tracks Virginia Choi Matching expectations YOUTH WATCH Statistics on money and careers FEATURES Kara Chan on consumerism
YOUTH HONG KONG published quarterly by The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups EDITORIAL BOARD Rosanna Wong Elaine Morgan (Editor) Ada Chau (Assistant Editor) Angela Ngai Lakshmi Jacot Veronica Pearson William Chung CIRCULATION (unaudited) 12,000 in Hong Kong, throughout the region and overseas VIEWS EXPRESSED are the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher REPRODUCTION OF CONTENTS without written permission from the publisher is prohibited INTERVIEWS Elaine Morgan Ada Chau Jenny Liu OTHER CONTRIBUTORS Gary Heilbronn Drama Hanson Datwani In the loop Jimin Kang, Serena Chow Arts & culture Lee Ming-yan, Sabrina Roberts Internetscope Antonia Heng On the agenda Ho King-yan City space Kevin Chan HKFYG, Going green ARTWORK Andrew Cheung, Dairy Leung (Interviews) Lok Choi (HKFYG photo bank) Suki Mak (image editing) Other artwork acknowledged as captioned or from public domain. DESIGN, LAYOUT & PRINTING DG3 Asia Ltd ISSN 2071-3193 WEB youthhongkong.hkfyg.org.hk CORRESPONDENCE to The Editor, Youth Hong Kong, 21/F, The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups Building, 21 Pak Fuk Road, North Point, Hong Kong TEL 3755 7084, 3755 7284 FAX 3755 7155 EMAIL youthhongkong@hkfyg.org.hk ADVERTISING enquiries to Ada Chau (3755 7108) THE HONG KONG FEDERATION OF YOUTH GROUPS was founded in 1960 and is one of the citys largest non-profit youth organizations. Its programmes and activities at over 60 locations are attended by 5 million participants every year CORE SERVICES Counselling, Creativity Education & Youth Exchange, e-Services, Education Services, Leadership Training, Leisure, Cultural & Sports Services, Parent-child Mediation, Research & Publications, Services for Youth at Risk, Volunteer Services, Youth Employment, Youth SPOTs, www.hkfyg.org.hk, www.u21.hk
7 YOUTH SPEAK
Photo by tanjun
Going to work School Leavers Graduate Survival, prospects, fulfilment
Youth Hong Kong

June 2012 Volume 4 Number 2
17
Entrepreneurs
Contents
OVERVIEW 4 Choosing jobs: the factors YOUTH SPEAK 7 Going to work Earning, prospects, fulfilment Profiles and statistics 11 Graduates 17 Entrepreneurs INTERVIEWS 23 Herman Chan Careers: decisions, decisions, decisions 25 Stanley Ng Choosing paths, changing tracks 27 Virginia Choi Matching expectations YOUTH WATCH 29 Money and careers FEATURES 32 Kara Chan Consumerism: driving youths spending 34 Familiar family: a oneact play
23-27
INTERVIEWS Herman Chan Stanley Ng Virginia Choi
29
YOUTH WATCH Money and careers
32
Kara Chan Consumerism in youth
IN THE LOOP 37 Critical thinking ARTS & CULTURE 39 Film review The Hunger Games 40 Gadget review The Kindle Fire INTERNETSCOPE 41 Online shopping: Etsy 42 Social media metrics: Klout vs Identified ON THE AGENDA 43 Increased prosperity: growing imblances CITY SPACE 44 Hong Kong nature: Ecobus night safari HKFYG 45 46 48 49 50 51 Going green today Outdoors in Sai Kung 15 years of the HKSAR China Week, Book Fair, M21 Summer Programme & Organic Farm Zhongshan Training Centre
34-44
Film Web Drama Ecology
Sai Kung and Summer Programme 15th Anniversary China Week Zhongshan
45-51
June 2012 | Youth Hong Kong
Editorial
t is never easy finding the perfect job at the best of times, but when faced with a challenging economy, the quest seems that much more elusive.
For todays potential employees, the job market is increasingly competitive and tight. Many young people, therefore, are forced to make certain compromises to their original preferences, ideals and aspirations. For them the job hunt results in being satisfied with the best option open to them, and finding a suitable balance between wages, prospects and satisfaction.
This issue of Youth Hong Kong looks at the issues confronting young people as they seek employment and asks whether there are real choices for them or are there simply limited options.
We speak with Human Resource specialists, career advisers, employers and academics to fill in the background against which young people make their decisions about jobs. We also make note of statistics and surveys to assess recent trends. A range of feature articles, many of them written by young contributors provides us with a window into the world of young people, which we hope will interest our readers as well.
As ever, if you have anything to comment on, please do write to us.
Dr Rosanna Wong, DBE, JP Executive Director, HKFYG June 2012
Youth Hong Kong | June 2012
Overview
Reporte Teache id Tour gu Lawyer e Nurse r Secreta ry
Jobs ts o specy Pr Mon e

Archite IT mer Program ct Engine er
or Survey
Choosing jobs
Civil t Se rvan
eneur Entrepr
Banker
tant Accoun
Co ll
eg
Artist
Clerk
Education and income

About 100,000 students are leaving Hong Kong schools this summer. The transition to work and tertiary education is receiving special attention with the introduction of the new Diploma in Secondary Education which replaces the old public examinations. The Diploma will mean an extra year in full-time education for those who would previously have left after Secondary 5. Among 20-24 year-olds, 80%+ have completed secondary education. Of these, at least 50% have begun sub-degree courses and 27% of all those over 15 had a post-secondary diploma, certificate or degree at the 2011 census.1
GO
co ll as ect s yo ala u p ry as s
s Waitres
50.0% 37.5% 25.0% 12.5% 0%
50.0%
30.0% 22.5% 21.8% 29.4%
5.0% Secondary school Post-secondary diploma
Sub-degree course
Figure 1 Educational Attainment in 15+ age group 2011 Notes & Source The figures include diploma and certificate courses at the Institute of Vocational Education, former Polytechnics, commercial schools and industrial training centres of Vocational Training Council 2011 Population Census Office, Census and Statistics Department, HKSARG, February 2012.
G Co O TO lla ge
4.3%
the factors
In 2011, there were 362,6402 15-24 year-olds at work, 9.7% of their age cohort. The proportion receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance decreased from 6.6% to 6.1%3 in the last decade but the number of those living in poverty, according to the Hong Kong Council of Social Service in 2011 is 1 in 54 and the percentage of youth in low-income families is rising.5 Family background is a strong determinant when deciding on jobs. The majority of secondary school pupils go straight into the workforce or into diploma, certificate or vocational skills training courses. Potential earning capacity is at the forefront of their minds. Income mobility for 15-29 year-olds without degrees has not changed significantly over the past decade according to a Central Policy Unit (CPU) survey published in 2011.6 A third of those who do not go on to university earn less than HK$6,000 a month and over half consider promotion unlikely. (See Figures 3 and 4). Approximately 20% earn HK$10,000-HK$14,000 a month whereas graduates can expect HK$14,000 upwards according to the 2012 Graduate Employment Survey.
HO LID AY
Cashie r ey Disc jock Doctor
r Designe Guard
18.0%
15.0% 7.5% 0%
9.2%
10.3%
Degree Course
15-24 years old
25-34 years old Male Female
Figure 2 Youth in the workforce Source 2011 Population Census Office, Census and Statistics Department, HKSARG, February 2012.
Overview
obs and income for young people everywhere depend largely on educational attainment. In Hong Kong, from a starting point on the minimum wage of approximately HK$5,000 per month, salaries climb for those with vocational training, up to about HK$14,000. Those with degrees can expect a starting salary of about HK$15,000. We explore attitudes to money, aspirations and motivation for work, with job seekers, employers and the employed.
by Elaine Morgan
Earning and spending

A territory-wide survey by the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (CPA) asked a sample group of 400 15-18 year-olds about the importance of money.7 82% agreed money was important and 73% also believed they needed to earn a lot to be happy. 90% wished they saved more but nearly 85% wanted to choose how they spent their time, rather than working, even if it meant having less money to spend. When asked what amount represented wealth, the answer averaged over HK$10.85 million but the average salary expected by the time they were 27 was about HK$20,000.
Qualified prospects
For many young people, a prime reason for getting a degree is to improve their prospects or to go into a chosen profession. The number in tertiary vocational education has been growing steadily and 27% were engaged in some form of degree or diploma programme at the time of the census last year. According to the latest University of Hong Kong Graduate Employment Survey8, average gross graduate salaries increased by 5.8% between 2010 and 2011, from HK$17,336 to $18,350. The most significant increase, of over 11%, was in commerce and industry, followed by community, social and personal services, up by 8.0%. The number of graduates with monthly salaries between HK$15,000 and $24,999 increased from about 29% in 2010 to nearly 40% in 2011, while graduate salaries under HK$15,000 reduced by nearly 10%. Vacancies in business services and financial institutions accounted for nearly 30% of the total. Hong Kong graduates most popular employment sector is IT, followed by management, consulting and accounting, then banking, tourism and hospitality, then the civil service.9
Job satisfaction
Energetic, dedicated employees often gain the most job satisfaction, although this depends on a number of factors, including a sense of autonomy. However, the CPU survey found that the younger generation as a whole is not very engaged with their work. Fewer than 20% said they actually felt like going to work when they got up in the morning. (See Figure 5).
40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0% 20.4% 28.3%
35.1%
40.0% 30.0% 20.0%
32.5% 16.2% 19.7% 7.2% 5.3%
15.4%
10.6% 3.4% Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree
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Figure 3 Is it difficult to get promotion? Notes and Source The survey excluded students and unemployed youth. Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Central Policy Unit. A Study on Understanding Our Young Generation. University of Hong Kong, 2011.
Figure 4 How much do you earn? Source Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Central Policy Unit. A Study on Understanding Our Young Generation. University of Hong Kong, 2011. Note: US$1=HK$7.80
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60.0% 45.0% 30.0%
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23.5% 27.4% 35.7%
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35.7% 34.8%
11.3%
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ith At w en or er k, ea My gy ni w ng o rk an i d sf pu ul rp l o os f Ti e m e f I'm lie s w wh or e Ia ki n ng m en ab th ou us t m ia s y tic At jo b w ev or er k, yt I hi fo ng rg el et se
Ia
Figure 5 How do you feel about work? Source Extracts from Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Central Policy Unit. A Study on Understanding Our Young Generation. University of Hong Kong, 2011. Table 9.
If
Matching employees and employers

Money may not come first for those considering job offers. Indeed, a new survey10 of Hong Kongs post-80s generation, born after 1980 shows that degree holders put interest and fun at work as a higher priority than salary. When asked about their strongest workplace characteristics, both those at work and those preparing for work considered creativity to be their strongest point. Post-80s* employees think of themselves as hard working and proactive, whereas their employers think they are self-centred and expect freedom at work.
1 2 3
2011 Population Census Office, Census and Statistics Department, HKSARG, February 2012. Hong Kong Population Census 2011. http://www.statistics.gov.hk/publication/stat_report/population/B11200552011XXXXB0100.pdf ibid 4 Hong Kong Council of Social Service. South China Morning Post report http://topics.scmp.com/news/hk-news-watch/article/1-in-5-live-below-poverty-line-welfare-bodysays 5 University of Hong Kong. Social Sciences Research Centre for the Commission on Youth. 6 Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Central Policy Unit. A Study on Understanding Our Young Generation. University of Hong Kong, 2011. 7 Hong Kong Certified Public Accountants. Teenagers and Money. 2005. [Powerpoint] 8 HKU Graduate Employment Survey 2011. http://www.hku.hk/cpaoesite/press/120510tables.pdf 9 Hong Kongs 100 Leading Graduate Employers. GTI Media 2011. 10 Tamty McGill International. Survey on Generation Y: Characteristics and preferences at Workplace. Hong Kong, 2012. 11 Hong Kongs 100 Leading Graduate Employers. op. cit. 12 HKU Graduate Employment Survey 2011. op. cit.
in sp M ire y j ee s ob ll m ik W e e he go n in I g g e to t u Ia w p, m If or ee w k or l h ki ap ng p in y w te h ns en el y Ia m th p e w rou or d k o m Id f y jo o b is ch al To le m ng e Ia in , re m g si ve lie ry nt m It in en is di m tal y ly m ffic jo ys ul b el t t ff o ro se m pa m ra y te jo b
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Satisfaction and priorities

Two-thirds of graduates at work say they only plan to stay for 2-3 years in their current jobs11 even though over 80% of graduates from the University of Hong Kong said they were satisfied with their first job and the number who actually changed jobs in first year of employment was under 12%.12 When asked how they chose between prospective employers, the top priority was development and training followed by promotion prospects. Enjoying tasks and friendly colleagues were the next most important factors. Many agreed on the importance of work-life balance. All these priorities are reflected in answers given to us by participants in the next section, Youth speak.
*The post-80s, also known as Generation Y, were born after 1980.
0.9%
8.2%
15.0%
11.3%
13.1%
15.5%
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Youth speak
e talked to over twenty young people about jobs and perceptions of future working lives. They came from a variety of backgrounds and included school leavers and graduates, some who are in their first jobs, and some who are young professionals with several years of experience. Many told us something quite unexpected. Most of our sample group consisted of those leaving school to go to university, undergraduates towards the end of their degree courses, and add both graduates at work and those who had been to vocational training college. Their voices in the following pages put young peoples perceptions about life journeys into perspective. They also give us pause to think. A common perception in Hong Kong is that the younger generation, especially those who are working or seeking employment, have money as their primary motivation. We found that the first priority of many was job satisfaction and a good working environment. Another group wanted progress along a clear career path more than anything. Earning to survive was top priority for a minority.
Going to work earning prospects fulfilment

Figure 1 HK$ Salary expectations
Photo by Toban Black
Photo by tanjun
30% 24% 23% 15% 8% 0% 7% 14%
30%
12% 3% 8%
$5 ,00 0o rb elo w $5 ,00 1t o$ 6,0 00 $6 ,00 1t o$ 7,0 00 $7 ,00 1t o$ 8,0 00 $8 ,00 1t o$ 9,0 00 $9 ,00 1t o$ 10 ,00 0 $1 0,0 00 to abo ve
Figure 2 Factors when choosing a job
60% 45% 30% 15% 0%
51%
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42% 31% 17% 17% 16% 11%
8%
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US$1=HK$7.80
Youth speak
Earning
M
oney is a significant factor for those from low-income backgrounds, especially if they were under-achievers at school. Among our first group several had positive attitude, despite the diffcult working conditions they had known and the fact that their pay was low.
Franni (18) After leaving school Im going into a Labour Department Youth Pre-employment Training Programme. Then I really need to get a job and contribute to household expenses. If necessary Ill work in a caf. There are always vacancies for waitresses but you are on your feet all day and its paid by the hour. At least Ill get the minimum wage. Lau-ming (19) I think Ill work in a shop and I expect to make about HK$7,000. Im not very ambitious but I think it would be better than working in a restaurant. There are plenty of shop jobs and even if I get a lower wage it will be a start. Perhaps Ill be able to save enough for an IVE* course next year. Samson (28) I left school when I was 15 to do a diploma in IT but I failed. My first job was taking photos at a theme park. They paid me HK$6,000 a month for working long hours in all weather. I dont mind physical work because Im strong but I do want reasonable time off. That was the first of many jobs Ive done, none of them earning me more than HK$7,000 until I got my present job in property management. My employers are different here and Im not expected to work weekends or on public holidays. Having free time is now more important than money to me. Bella (29) I wanted to be a hair stylist when I left school. It wasnt easy to find a training course so I just went to a few local beauty salons and asked about work. I ended up sweeping the floor for a living. Occasionally I washed somebodys hair. That was a bit better. They gave me tips if they liked it. There was no minimum wage so I learned to get by on about HK$20 an hour to begin with. If I worked for all the 12 hours the salon was open it was just enough to pay for transport and a snack at lunchtime. Maybe a bit of makeup. Its easier now and Ive saved enough to do a course as a stylist with the ERB.** Jeff (24) Im doing a part-time degree while working in a bank. In Hong Kong, what you earn is often seen as a measure of success but I dont entirely agree. Earning gives me some self-esteem but there is only 10% of my salary left after all of my expenses.
survival
shop assistant basic needs
long
harsh conditions
job switching
Notes: *IVE Institute of Vocational Education **ERB: Employees Retraining Board US$1=HK$7.80
minimum sweeping floors

getting tips
food and shelter
Youth speak
Photo by sirwiseowl
hours
wage
low income
Blue collar work in manufacturing dropped in the last decade while office and retail work increased. By 2009, over 30% of those aged 15-24 at work were in the public administration, social and personal services. 27% were in retail, accommodation and food services and nearly 16% were in financing, insurance, real estate, professional and business services.
Source University of Hong Kong. Social Sciences Research Centre for the Commission on Youth. Youth in Hong Kong: a statistical profile. 2010.
Photo by Bud_um_tiss
Photo by flickr.Marcus
Photo by clv4nz
Photo by Magh
Youth speak
ambi
Prospects
n our second group, we met young people with specific goals and ambitions. Many of them wanted clear career prospects and expected their employers to offer a path to promotion and higher salaries. When deciding on a profession, top of many young peoples list of priorities are prospects for promotion and a clear path to professional development. Money is important too, but they often say it takes second place, knowing that if they choose their first job well, their starting salary can be relatively low. The rungs of the progress ladder are relatively close together and these self-confessedly ambitious young people all know what they want in life.
Chun-wai (19) Im good at maths and want to be a surveyor. I hope to start on HK$13,000 a month but above all I want a clear career path. Like some of the others I want to make enough money to do as I choose but I value my family most in life. Siu-fung (20) I want to teach PE. Everyone I know thinks Ill be good at it. The work itself is meaningful and stable, the salary would start at about HK$15,000. I do think of myself as quite an ambitious person but the chance to educate the next generation is what attracts me most, rather than the money, plus the opportunity to maximize my potential. Rita (18) I would really like to be a nurse. Its a well paid job with good fringe benefits like holidays and welfare, plus a clear career path and good prospects. Salary is quite important to me. I would like to make enough money to have freedom of choice.
Sui-yin (24) I know I have to get a degree to get on in life, even if it is costing me HK$42,000 a year. When I complete my BSc I expect to be able to follow a clear career path in biotechnology. Thats why I chose the subject.
For now, Im working part-time as a marketing assistant with an NGO. I earn enough for my university fees with some left over for my family and for savings. I want to buy my own home one day and maybe will be able to make enough to start up in business. Wanger (20) Id like to be a civil servant or a teacher. I think either of them would suit me because Im good at communicating with others and leading groups of people. I expect I would to start on around HK$10,000 a month but I do want to make a lot of money eventually so that I can be free to choose what I do at some stage of my life.
10
Photo by by tr67
ition stability
progress
career path
opportunities
prospects
career path
money
promotion recognition focus
Youth speak
saving
Kwok Lai-yi, in her early 20s, will graduate
from the University of Hong Kong this year with a Major in Risk Management & Finance. She embodies many of the characteristics of an ambitious, straightforward young executive, with a clear vision of her progression and opportunities. Her future employer is PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Focus
Different people have different perceptions of monetary reward and its connection with status and success. For me, success is self-actualization, being the best I can be given all my strengths and weaknesses. Status is recognition. Focusing on what you want is an important step to achieving success and earning status. But money needs not be the key element with which to measure success.
Career path
My main priority is to work for a top-notch company with plenty of employment opportunities. This means I can maximize my potential with on-the-job training, developing both hard and soft skills. A clear career path for me involves a 3D working environment: dynamic, democratic and down-to-earth. I want to be able to contribute, work with people for whom I have a lot of respect and who have high expectations of me.
Influences
My parents and teachers said I should ask myself what standard of living I expected in future, whether I could strike a balance between money and happiness and whether I could match my personal values with my career. Their final message was You walk through life and take responsibility for it. I am a hard-working, ambitious person. To climb the ladder of success and reach my goals means continuous effort, a passionate heart, a focused mind and commitment to noble intentions.
* Cantonese: muk yan hong; Mandarin: mu ren hang: wooden dummies used in Chinese martial arts training. (Wikipedia)
For me, success is selfactualization, being the best I can be given all my strengths and weaknesses. Money matters
Initial salary is not very important. I expect Ill get into a Wooden Men Lane* when I start, in a place for training, practice and self-growth. I feel optimistic about my prospects for promotion and development and I truly believe this is totally about work attitude. Having a positive work attitude lets you manage high stress levels and stay self-motivated.
11
Youth speak
Fulfilment
he third group included Hong Kong and mainland graduates at work who revealed idealism tempered with practicality. A significant feature shared by some was they believed work was to be enjoyed. We conclude this section with essays by four of them that reveal dedication, independence of mind and reluctance to adopt preconceived ideas.
Cassidy (28) When I left school I was thinking of going into banking but I have low aptitude for figures and I tried a number of jobs instead. Doing something to help society is my top work priority, followed by work/life balance. Money is important for a good life but its up to you to define whats good. Kwai (22) My main goal is to find something in which I have a passionate interest. I am in my final year of a degree in quantitative finance and expect to make a good living in this field, enough to enable me to save, invest and buy a flat. Emma (28) Im originally from Chengdu, did my first degree in Nanjing and then came to do a further degree in Hong Kong. My current job is developing social work services in mainland China. Although my salary is low the work is meaningful and I learn something new every day.
Vivian (27) Vivian Wang Like Emma, I did my Masters at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and am now a social worker with migrant children. This kind of work is a new in China and its exciting to be involved. Wen Long (24) At the moment Im a maintenance engineer with an electrical company in Hubei. Id like to start up my own business. Living a happy life in a good working environment with a free atmosphere is my top priority. Suki (25) I did a secretarial course when I left school but I have always been really interested in design so I went back to college. When I got my first job I was 23 and earned HK$5,000. It wasnt much but I loved the work so it didnt matter. Lizzy (25) Im a primary school teacher and being respected is more important than a high salary for me. The environment suits me and its interesting work. Job security and feeling good about going to work are my top priorities.
12
Photo by thebmag
fulfilment
calling
realism
aspirations
satisfaction
dreams
well-being
freedom
ideals autonomy
balance
Youth speak
Kelvin Lai, 24, who has a Masters degree in Sports and Leisure Management, has tried a variety of jobs, including playgroup trainer, part-time actor and freelance photographer. He is now a leather crafter.
Career trajectory
I chose to be a freelancer because it gives me more freedom to control my time. My current occupations include an acting job with the police academy. Its very interesting and has taught me a lot about how the police force works. I am also a part-time photographer, taking photos for events and studios. I was a playgroup trainer throughout my undergraduate years and found it was a joy to work with children, satisfying to see them smile and watch them grow. Moreover, it was pretty well paid! Working as a leather crafter, as I do now, is something I never expected.
I would say that a successful person is someone who can write their autobiography, and after reading it, you would say, Wow what an interesting life. Money and focus
For me, money has never been the first thing I look in a job or a career. Money is important for survival. I can earn up to HK$20,000 per month, but sometimes its less than HK$5,000. Sometimes I struggle when I see old school mates getting wealthier and wealthier, but experience of life and a meaningful occupation are what I seek most. The most important things for me are freedom and life experience.
13
Youth speak
Joyee Chan, 23, is a journalist with the South China Morning Post Young Post.
Career path
I went to the City University of Hong Kong to study media and communications. My ambition was to become an environmental journalist for National Geographic magazine because I loved writing and researching about animals, plants and ecology. In fact it was quite hard to get a job after graduation. I sent 20 or 30 applications and the Young Post offered me an interview the first and only job interview with a media organization. I think it was a very good start. Its a small newspaper aimed at a younger audience, so I can write about all sorts of interesting topics and even suggest my own ideas for new columns.
I can write about all sorts of interesting topics and suggest my own ideas for new columns. Influences
My mother was thrilled when I landed a job as a news reporter. She always wanted a job like this but did not have the qualifications or the freedom to choose her own career. She says I have fulfilled her dreams. My family does not need my financial support so I did not need to worry too much about pay. The reputation of my employer and the opportunities offered by the job mattered more.
Money matters
I am paid reasonably well compared with my peers working in banks or as clerks and accountants. My job also offers a lot of scope. I get fringe benefits and was fortunate to go on work trips to Switzerland and the mainland last year. I can improve my writing then explore more opportunities in this industry.
14
Youth speak
Michael Shen, 27, is a mainland journalist with wide experience in online and print media.
The dissatisfaction that comes from an empty conceptual and spiritual world is much greater than the dissatisfaction that comes from an empty pocket.
Career path
I think journalism gives me the perfect opportunity to Of course, if you choose to focus on money rather explore the world, beginning with my own country. than other forms of satisfaction you can be successful too, but I believe the dissatisfaction that comes from an empty conceptual and spiritual world is much By talking to different people, I learn new things every day. That was the most attractive thing for greater than the dissatisfaction that comes from me when I chose my profession: being able to an empty pocket. Personally, I prefer idealism. satisfy my curiosity, and find out about things. Whatever your dream is, you will gain respect if you persevere. And no doubt enough Money and focus money will come your way eventually. There are those who want a job mainly for the money and those who want a job both for money and for ideals. However, compared to my fathers generation, which struggled to make a living, we not only have more opportunities, but also better chances of earning more.
Generational change: young and migrant

As Michael says, his opportunities are far greater than his parents were. Re-locating to make the most of them is natural and the greatest voluntary migration in human history has taken place in China within the last generation. However, a National Bureau of Statistics survey* of young migrant workers reveals dissatisfaction and rapid job switching. Given the numbers, this is not surprising. The migrant population of Shanghai almost trebled from 2000-2010 and almost 60% of Shanghais 7.5m 20-34 yearolds are migrant workers. Competition for jobs is intense.
Sources * The Economist. 2 June 2012. p36.
15
Youth speak
Alisa Kwan Hoi-lam, 27, is an English
teacher at Kowloon Tong School (Secondary Section)
Career path
I wanted to be a teacher ever since I was in primary school. I find my job challenging and rewarding. A good teacher can show a student how to become a better person. It is like being a farmer we sow seeds and we take care of the seedlings.
Money wont guarantee satisfaction, self-fulfilment or the respect of others.
Influences
Both my grandma and my dad were teachers and they had a lot of influence on me as I was growing up. My principal has been a mentor too. He always says Money is important. Its hard to live without it. However, that teaching is just the same as running your own money wont guarantee satisfaction, self-fulfilment or business. A teacher has to use every means at his or the respect of others. I see having a good attitude, both her disposal to improve the quality of teaching and in and out of work, as essential for gaining status. enhance effective learning, just as a business proprietor uses different strategies to improve the business and raise profit margins. These strategies come from Focus autonomy and opportunities for self-expression, I believe in having a positive attitude. This keeps without which I doubt anyone can achieve their goal. me moving forward. I have always wanted to get things done in a better way. In that sense I am A successful person never gives up working for better ambitious. Future prospects and work-life balance results. A colleague shared her favourite quote with are both priorities with me. Everyone strives for a me, at the moment that you think you are the best, better future, but no matter how successful one is at you have immediately lost the status of being the work, family and social life cannot be neglected. best. To be successful, you cannot just stand still.
Money matters
16
Youth speak
In business
ARCH Academy
a learning and consultation centre
ennifer Ma gave up a job with Goldman Sachs and founded the Arch Academy with a partner about three years ago. The Academy offers thinking skills and preparation for admission
There was a very strong sense of calling.
to preferred schools and universities in Britain and the US.
Crisis and change

The career switch from banking to education meant taking a big risk. It was just after the financial crisis and even though my job was not threatened, I was already in my late 20s. I didnt want to wait any longer. My business partner and I rapidly became immersed in the world of education and there was a very strong sense of calling. Creating something new and feeling that you can actually change lives, brings intense pressure but with it comes great job satisfaction.
Risk analysis
Of course, money is important to new enterprises. It makes the business sustainable. We did all our own teaching and produced original resources which reflected our vision. That helped keep overheads manageable. Knowing what the maximum loss could be, we gave ourselves a trial period of two years. After that, you cant go back to banking. It changes too fast. My father left one of the big accounting firms to set up his own business. His advice was to be cautious and start small. My mother has an eye for opportunity and is less conservative than my father. Both my parents supported and encouraged me when many would have said, stick with the banking job: boring but safe. They trusted me and believed it could work. That was very important. As a founder with core teaching skills I now take responsibility for my work in a way that was not possible when I was in banking. I can align personal values with my work mission. Above all, what is important to me is gaining the objective recognition of those I know and respect, while adding value to the educational process.
I align personal values with work mission.

We consulted educators in the UK and Hong Kong and I completed a Masters in Education at HKU while teaching in local schools. One of our aims is to prepare children for the real world, where critical thinking is crucial. The teaching gave me the opportunity to observe what can discourage students from thinking critically. In Hong Kong schools, poor exposure, learning in big classes and being influenced by those who believe there is a right answer, can stifle.
The ARCH Academy comprises the ARCH Learning Center, ARCH Education Consultants and ARCH Community Outreach (ACO). The ACO is a not-for-profit initiative run with the support of St James Settlement. Its aims are to bring educational and career development programmes to under-resourced communities, providing opportunities and empowerment to bright young adults. For more on the ARCH Learning Center see pages 37-39. www.arch-academy.com Tel 3568 0406 3/F China Hong Kong Tower, 8-12 Hennessy Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong
Jennifer
17
Youth speak
In business
Bak Kut King Asian treats in up-and-coming areas
A
Bat Kuk King, G/F, 1 Wun Sha Tower, 45 Wun Sha Street, Tai Hang Nanyang Restaurant, G/F, May Court, 56 Old Main Street, Aberdeen
lex Liu has two Southeast Asian restaurants, in Tai Hang and
Aberdeen. He started out in catering and now operates his business as a social enterprise, sharing net profits with staff and charity.
can keep all my businesses in operation, although making money on the property market was much easier! Even if I made a lot I wouldnt consider retirement. Id get bored.
When I left school I worked in the catering industry for 20 years, as a chef, a waiter, and a bartender. Having your own restaurant is very different. Its like having your own son.
Flexibility and independence

I chose to specialize in Southeast Asian food, especially Singaporean, Nanyang and Malaysian dishes, because its easier to employ cooks and gives more flexibility. No matter whether youre dining alone or with friends, its easy to order food, whereas with hot pot, for example, its more difficult. Being my own boss meant I could make independent decisions. It also brings responsibilities and risks, but I really wanted to try it, and see if I could deal with the tension it can create. Although my mom is very supportive, nobody else in my family is in business. She said the worst scenario would be losing all the money, and that its not really a big deal. Shed rather I tried now than wait till Im old and full of regrets.
Like magic
When customers praise the food it is a unique experience that you cant get if you work for someone else. I also get great personal satisfaction from the people who work for me. I expect a lot from them and its been so rewarding to develop such good team spirit. I think my employees personal growth is very important. I would like to offer them sponsorship to study and teach them myself about business. I have employed some very young people and have a low staff turnover rate. I also share net profits, 30% for shareholders, 30% for restaurant development, 30% for employees, 10% for charity.
Starting something from zero is like magic.

My advice to other young people who want to be their own boss is not to over-plan. Nothing is 100% sure. You really have to take risks. But on the other hand, you need to consider the details and know how you will deal with problems. So far it has been an amazing journey. Starting something from zero is like magic.
20 Alex Alex
Support and satisfaction

My initial capital came from a windfall on the property market, but I now have a partner who joined me after the success of the first restaurant in Tai Hang. Our aim is to branch out into shopping malls, with the next new restaurant opening in the coming year. I may also diversify and already have an operation washing dishes, within the catering industry. I think I
18
Youth speak
In business
Mr Taco Truck, the Mexican Taqueria

alvin Tse is an experienced, qualified accountant, and Vivian Wong used to work for an investment bank after doing finance at university. They decided they wanted a change and opened restaurants in Quarry Bay and Lan Kwai Fong.
VW People ask, Why Mexican? The answer is that we love it! CT I wanted to build something of my own and Vivian
The bottom line

CT The beauty of being an entrepreneur is that youre never bored. There are always problems and always opportunities. We cant give up, we cant resign. We have to be responsible for ourselves. VW What we have now is enough, but still far away from what we want eventually. Calvin and I dream about lying on the beach, knowing that the business is still bringing in money.
agreed. The capital came from our savings. It used to be just us two in the kitchen. Within a year or two wed broken even and now we have 15 staff and a second branch.
Mr Taco Truck, the Mexican Taqueria www.mrtacotruck.com tel 852 2590 6911 14-15 Wo On Lane, Lan Kwai Fong, Central HK and 22 Finnie Street, Quarry Bay, HK
Challenge and compatibility

CT Were not partners except in business. There are no dependents. That makes it easier. VW Were young so we can always go back if it doesnt work out. Some people like stability. Others like challenge. I like scuba diving, high diving, trekking in South America. I also love cooking. At home, my mother cooks Chinese food better than I can ever find in restaurants. For me cooking comes naturally.
Try not to think about money. It will lead you to a dead end.
CT Our dream is to become a well-known brand, with branches throughout Asia, in mainland China, maybe Singapore. If we havent made progress in ten years time well sell up and try something new. For now, we reinvest all we make to strengthen the business. VW My advice is to try not to think about money. It will
Influences and reactions

and realized it could be both fun and risky. But they didnt like me following in their footsteps. The first reaction was ten-tenths negative. Now its half-positive. you had to be careful with people in business! The big influence was an exchange year at Berkeley, in the Silicon Valley area. Everyone wanted to run a startup. Nobody wanted to work in a bank. That kind of shocked me. Hardly anyone I know is like that here.
VW I was brought up by teachers and I used to think CT My parents are in business. I used to help them a lot
lead you to a dead end. Youll never know what is enough. Instead, you have to focus. Money will follow if you believe in the product.
Inaugural award winners of the HSBC Youth Business Award, Vivian and Calvin say it brought many useful connections and new customers. The awards recognize talent and innovative thinking, determination and creativity. Organized annually by HKFYGs Youth Business Hong Kong (YBHK), the sole sponsor is HSBC Business. http://ybhk.hkfyg.org.hk/ybaward2012
Vivian Calvin Taco Truck
19
Youth speak
In business
Vivian Luk: dress designer in Happy Valley

wedding gowns and evening wear. She is a former protg of Vera Wang, designer for many famous people such as Chelsea Clinton, Victoria Bec k ha m a nd M ichel le Obama.
iv ia n Lu k, who is in her 30s, makes glamorous
Whats intriguing is that the way people move can change, just by wearing one of my designs.
works of art. Every piece of clothing we wear can reveal the role we want to play. Whats intriguing is how the way people feel and the way they move can change, just by wearing one of my designs. For me, success in life means good balance in everything you do, openness to explore without fearing sacrifice or losing touch with reality. That means not going too fast, knowing the core skills of my industry and practicing them. Most of all I want to maintain the drive, the motivation and the passion. It means I want to go to work when I get up in the morning. You dont need to be an artist to have this kind of drive, but to get to where you want to be in life, drive is essential.
Vivian Luk www.vivianluk.com tel 2891 8311 13-15 Yik Yam Street, Happy Valley, HK
Ive always been in art and design. My Hong Kong-born father is an interior designer who relocated to Toronto. I grew up there, going to the Fashion Institute of Technology and Parsons School of Design to get qualified.
Natural steps
My parents were already back in Hong Kong when I set up my bespoke bridal and evening wear business. Everything fell into place. It didnt feel like jumping out of my comfort zone. People think being in fashion and going into business is risky and its true that in the beginning there was a lot of trial and error. But I knew what I was good at. I gained my expertise designing evening gowns with Vera Wang in New York, so this was a natural step.
All along, they were baby steps and I dont think I ever wasted past experience. I did my research and knew there was demand in Hong Kong, and scope to expand. One reason I chose bespoke was because I didnt need much capital to start up. I found clients via word of mouth. The first one I met at Starbucks, did my sketches, made the dress, and brought it back from New York on the plane!
Drive and motivation

Ive been in business 3-4 years now, reinvesting much of what Ive made, doing much of the hands-on work myself with five seamstresses. Work is life at the moment but I need to go out and connect in order to give depth to my work. I want to make garments that are worn, not just
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Vera Wang Vivian
Speedy Group
The co-founders of Speedy Group, Kelvin Woo and Johnny Luk, a web-hosting and technical support service for schools, talk about how their business started and how well it is now doing. Kelvin and Johnny were also winners of the inaugural HSBC Youth Business Award.
Youth speak
In business
Web hosting at working velocity
e started up in business in 2004 and it took us nine months to a year to achieve a balanced budget. Now we employ about 200 staff and most of them are young. Todays young applicants ask less about promotion prospects than they did a few years ago. Perhaps this is because they lack confidence, even though we would say they have more choice in the job market. We believe that Hong Kong IT graduates still have competitive edge in many areas of the employment market.
Fresh IT graduates take note

When we recruit, the skills we need most are networking, hardware and troubleshooting. Those with good organizational and communication skills as well will have a bright future in the IT industry. Nevertheless, the overall technical skills of fresh IT graduates have weakened noticeably in recent years. As a result, our technical team has to spend more time on training and support than they used to. If the trend continues, there will not only be a recruitment problem for us, but for the entire sector, thus hindering Hong Kong from becoming a leading data centre hub for the Asia-Pacific region.
Recognition for young enterprises outstanding achievements, from HKFYG and HSBC Youth Business Award
Organized by The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups and solely sponsored by HSBC Business, the HSBC Youth Business Award 2012 programme is now accepting applications from young entrepreneurs. This popular award enables a culture of entrepreneurship to flourish and offers a platform for start-ups to exchange business knowledge and enrich their experience. trophies and cash prizes totalling HK$200,000 free advertising participation in HKTDC outbound missions enhancement of company profile critical review of entrepreneurial business plan acclaim for entrepreneurial team members
Upbeat outlook
Led by strong demand for both IT support in the education sector and for web hosting, our first quarter sales report for 2012 shows solid growth that exceeds our expectations. We are now targeting 45% revenue growth in the web hosting sector, and 25% revenue growth in education IT support for our company this year.
IT Speedy Group Kelvin Johnny
Supported by Trade and Industry Department Hong Kong Trade Development Council Hong Kong Productivity Council Act NOW to be eligible for the 2012 award Go to ybhk.hkfyg.org.hk/ybaward2012 For online application form Further details from Miranda Wong ybaward@hkfyg.org.hk. Tel 3113 7999
21
Youth speak
Pros and cons
of being your own boss

o conclude this section, we look at some statistics about entrepreneurship from a survey conducted jointly by the Federation and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. Starting up a company is the dream of many young people, yet according to this researchi, only 6% actually put entrepreneurial plans into practice. This may be because it takes skill, dedication, financial support, background knowledge and creativity to succeed, as the businesses described in the preceding pages illustrate.
Figure 1 Reasons for starting a business
42.4% 42.2% 42.6%
T
ey
28.0% 26.3% 29.3%
5.7% 7.0% 4.7%
4.1% 2.6% 5.4%
10.0% 0.0%
ts
el
ily
uc
on
do
ea
am
ys
pe
ea
ci
od
ee
dr
os
dr
pr
fr
or
pr
ng
or
iz
or
pp
b/
ar
tiv
le
al
sh
jo
va
re
su
al
ak
ch
to
st
no
jo
to
to
en
to
in
pa
to
or
Overall New entrepreneurs Would-be entrepreneurs
to
ll
se
Figure 2 Average monthly personal income derived from business in last 3 months
to
po
to
co
nt
rib
ut
to
tf
so
ot
he
ct
et
1.7% 2.6% 0.9%
20.0%
12.9% 13.8% 12.2%
30.0%
25.5% 24.7% 26.1%
25.0% 23.0% 26.7%
40.0%
27.3% 30.4% 24.7%
50.0%
41.2% 42.0% 40.6%
80% of would-be entrepreneurs say they have not put their plans into practice because they lack startup capital. Of all respondents in this survey, over 90% say their capital comes from their savings. 38% of new entrepreneurs say actual start-up capital required was HK$50,000 or less. To offer support, the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups Youth Business Hong Kong and the associated HSBC Youth Business Award programme have been set up.
Figure 3 Business sector chosen by new entrepreneurs
45.0% 40.0% 35.0% 30.0% 25.0% 20.0% 15.0% 10.0% 5.0% 0.0% 3.4% 10.2% 11.2%
38.5%
Retail Business services

20.1% 9.6%
30.6% 22.3% 12.5% 7.2% 6.1% 3.9% 3.9% 3.1% 2.6%
Import-export trade Personal services

7.0%
Hotel and catering Education Wholesale Finance and insurance Art, culture, entertainment and information media
No income
HK$5,000 or below
HK$5,001 to $10,000
HK$10,001 to $20,000
HK$20,001 to $30,000
HK$30,001 to $50,000
Above HK$50,000
4 $50,000
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Hong Kong Trade Development Council and HKFYG Unleashing Hong Kongs Creative Youth. 2011.
ong Kongs university students have dedicated services to help them decide on careers and find jobs. The bustling University of Hong Kong Careers & Placement (CEDARS) is an excellent example. Director, Herman Chan, told Youth Hong Kong about the decision-making process and the relative importance of pay and prospects.
decisions, decisions, decisions

Choice of degree
The first step towards a first job comes for matriculants when they choose a degree course. Matching their abilities with subjects they are interested in and entrance requirements usually comes before looking at salary and career prospects. Vocational degrees in law, medicine, accounting, business and engineering almost invariably give a clear direction, whereas students in the Arts or Social Sciences faculties may take longer to decide on career direction. Good salary and fringe benefits are next after suitability, but decision-making doesnt stop there.
Careers
happy, working 16-17 hours a day in the first year, 6 days a week; maybe 14-15 hours a day in year two, and by year five leading someone else in their footsteps. I told them not to consider money first, to think of all the factors and see the job as an investment of themselves.
HK$19,000 HK$18,500 HK$18,000 HK$17,500 HK$17,000 HK$16,500
Interview
Figure 1 Average gross income of graduates 2008-2010
HK$18,755
HK$17,336
HK$16,625 Job offers usually come with salaries that match market HK$16,000 rates. Although the average gross is about HK$16,000, excluding medical doctors and dentists, the majority of HK$15,500 2008 2009 HKU fresh graduates get HK$12,000-HK$14,000 a month. If starting pay falls below HK$10,000 graduates usually wont stay long. Its different in a very uncertain Compatibility and enjoyment economic environment. Employers in the business sector learn about the salary levels that can trigger instability. Every graduate wants a good job and CEDARS1 provides one-to-one consultations with advisers from a range of industries on a needs basis. Conditions and investment
2010
Since starting salaries may not meet expectations, other elements are important too. Foreseeing some of them requires imagination, self-knowledge and realism. I just talked to two students, both of whom were trying to choose between offers from two top investment banks. I suggested that they consider what working for those banks might be like over five years. Would they be
There are many questions when considering job offers. I use imaginary scenarios. How will you feel about spending 6 days a week with colleagues from that organization? Will you enjoy 4-day business trips travelling, eating, meeting and greeting? Fundamentally, its a question of enjoyment: enjoying the job, the teamwork and the satisfaction of using skills and insight to make successful business decisions.
23
Interview
Figure 2 Major industries entered by HKU graduates 2008-20102

Community, Social & Personal Services
Dilemmas
Sometimes graduates are unsure and seek an objective view but they may not always follow advice, as was the case for one potential high flyer whose expectations did not match reality.
Business Services Financial Institutions Education Civil Service Engineering, Architectural & Technical Services Trading/ Marketing/ Retailing Transport, Storage & Communication Manufacturing Other 9.1%
2008 2009 2010
I tell them not to consider money first but to think of the other factors and see jobs as an investment of themselves.
She had been offered a good post as a management trainee with a multinational conglomerate. And then came another offer, from the UN in Beijing doing development work on very low pay. I advised her to take the former, to build up her professional pathway and then later engage in community development. She could thus make a meaningful contribution while building her career. But she chose the UN job on the grounds that it would give good exposure in a cross-boundary zone involving North and South Korea, China and Russia. After six months she came back, disappointed, hoping the management trainee offer was still open, but you cant turn back the clock, can you?
18.7% 7.4% 6.9% 4.2% 3.7% 4.2% 5.0% 4.9% 5.2% 5.6% 14.5% 6.7% 8.5% 9.4% 8.6% 11.6% 13.5% 10.8% 9.4% 12.4% 8.0% 11.0% 10.3% 15.1% 17.5% 9.1% 20.8% 9.9% 18.1%
Aspirations and expectations
Some people know what they want to do in life long before they graduate. Others will remain indecisive for much of their lives. CEDARS does not only arrange If you are unhappy at work, the same questions have to internships and placements, it also offers valuable be faced, regardless of age. Albeit, the young are usually self-assessment tools, advice on the job market based on flexible enough not to burn their bridges. macro-economic trends and predictions about how those trends are moving. Information like this is We dont close our doors to recent graduates and always invaluable for graduates at the crossroads, weighing their try to help those who come back looking for career market value against aspirations, and their likely rewards advice. They are usually frustrated and need to against the work they must do to earn them. understand their own situation. This involves a lot of soul-searching, and predicting whether switching tracks will mean leaping from the frying pan into the fire. 3
Frustrations and doubts
If starting pay falls below HK$10,000 graduates usually wont stay in a job long.
With thanks to staff of The University of Hong Kongs Centre of Development and Resources for Students (CEDARS): Director of Careers & Placement, Mr Herman Chan, and Student Adviser (Careers), Ms Jacqueline Lloyd. Data in tables is taken from The HKU Careers Guide 2012 with the kind permission of Careers & Placement, CEDARS, HKU. About 15% (336 out of 2240 who responded to a question in the Graduate Employment Survey 2011; total respondents 3535) of employed graduates from HKU in 2011 changed within 6 months of graduation, mostly seeking better salaries or a more pleasant working environment.
2 3
24
s, ath gp osin Cho cks ing tra chang
Interview
r Stanley Ng, Executive Director of the Employees Retraining Board (ERB), knows about getting young people into the workforce, regardless of their academic level. He told Youth Hong Kong about the current situation for school leavers about to enter the job market.
Job-changing is generally more prevalent in the younger cohort. According to a 2010 Census & Statistics Department report4, 14.6% of 15-29 year-olds had changed jobs in the previous year and the Hong Kong Playground Association survey concluded that young people change jobs about once every 2 years.
The ERB emphasizes sustainability of development with career planning and retraining for employees. We help young people get information about opportunities, obtain recognized professional qualifications, and map out progression ladders. Various survey findings have indicated that over 80% of the young unemployed think their inability to earn and contribute to family expenses is the most pressured aspect of their lives. Even if they find a job it may do little more than cover basic expenses. Hoping for a better pay package is natural, especially in Hong Kong where one in five young people live in poverty.1 However, young people dont only think of money. Working conditions are also important, as are career prospects. One survey2 showed that many post 80s employees change jobs for lack of in-service development opportunities. A Hong Kong Playground Association survey3 revealed three main reasons for youth to change jobs: income, career prospects, and relationships with colleagues and supervisors.
Money talks
The introduction of a HK$28 hourly minimum wage last year led to an income increase of 7-9% for the lowest income groups during the past 12 months. The impact on standard of living and the wealth gap has yet to be assessed, but a change in job-seeking patterns can already be seen among young people. The most vacancies are in frontline catering and retail, but some grass-roots workers have now shifted to property management jobs, where pay is roughly the same for shorter hours, less demanding work and a better work environment. The construction industry offers plentiful opportunities and attractive pay, but many young people are not interested because they consider the jobs risky and dont want to work outdoors. If labour supply is shrinking, employers will have to offer better packages with clearer career pathways and salary prospects. Not an easy task, especially for the catering and retail sectors.
Notes: US$1=HK$7.80 Post-80s refers to those born after 1980.
Trial and error

Switching jobs is understandable, especially among the academic under-achievers. Many of them are poorly informed when taking their first job. They dont know what suits them and they usually find out by trial and error. Compared with their undergraduate counterparts, they know little about the job market and are not well prepared for joining the workforce.
25
Interview
Job skills training and retraining

What school-leavers need most is a career plan, and then they need to acquire job skills. Hong Kongs knowledgebased economy means employers usually look for workers with high-level, multiple skill sets, plus the certificates to prove their skills. ERB can equip them with vocational skills training, including courses leading to international qualifications such as accounting, business and office skills. ERB disseminates information via the mass media about programmes offered by 400+ training centres. We also have service centres in Tin Shui Wai, Sham Shui Po and Kwun Tong, where there is greater concentration of lower income groups. Interestingly, 75% of trainees of ERB courses are females. Perhaps vocational training is not particularly appealing to boys, or perhaps they are simply too confident about the future. Young women today have more opportunities in the employment market. To give just one example, at ERB, we have about 200 permanent staff and 70% are female. Women are relatively more concerned about their careers, and know how to equip themselves for work. Some young men may have to pull their socks up.
Learn and Leap: The Teen Action Initiative

What does it offer knowledge, experience, exposure for informed career choices Who is it for 2012 secondary school leavers Why because they need to know more about their opportunities How does it work career planning seminars help youth understand themselves and the job market and get a feel of working in industry Who teaches CEOs, celebrities, practitioners and social workers share experience Where at three 1-day Taster Courses, seminars and workshops When summer 2012 Organized by HKFYG, ERB and the Education Bureau How much Free of charge with Life Planning: a compulsory seminar Event Co-ordinator HKFYG
Pilot project
The primary targets of the ERBs new programme, Learn and Leap: Teen Action 2012 (see box) are secondary school graduates who wish to enter the job market. There was overwhelming response when it was announced. 10,000 applied. We now have 3,000 places. For these youngsters, we have identified 100 sixhour, highly focused Taster Courses straddling different industries. These will prepare them for popular, non-graduate jobs such as wedding planning, wine tasting, coffee making, and IT. All of them have to attend a career planning seminar before they do three of the Taster Courses.
Getting informed
Young peoples decisions about what to do when they leave school involve many steps, much deliberation and plenty of false starts. The message is that if they find it hard to find a suitable job, before signing a contract they can avail themselves of the many resources freely available to them.
1 2 3 4
Hong Kong Council of Social Service. South China Morning Post report http://topics.scmp.com/news/hk-news-watch/article/1-in-5-live-below-poverty-line-welfare-body-says http://wikisites.cityu.edu.hk/sites/newscentre/en/Pages/PrintStory.aspx?Story=201106071400.aspx Hong Kong Playground Assocation. Survey on Work Pressure and Tolerance of Youth. Hong Kong Census & Statistics Department, General Houshold Survey. Special Topics Report No. 58. Job Changes by Age and Sex. 2010.
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Photo by World Bank Photo Collection
Interview
Employer
and employee
matching expectations
s Virginia Choi, Managing Director at Tamty McGill Consultants International, has long experience in Human Resources. She mentors students, giving them employment preparation and interview skills and has a long-standing relationship with HKFYG. She talked about the characteristics of young workers from an employers perspective.
Hong Kongs Generation Y, the under 30s, think differently from the older generation. They have great ideas and can be very creative in the workplace. Good at teamwork, they like to have an instant response from supportive supervisors and want to participate in decision-making. There can be a mismatch of expectations. Employers seek stability, eagerness to learn, good IT and language skills, and willingness to listen carefully to supervisors. Brought up with IT, they sometimes rely too much on the internet for communications. They are very hard-working, but they are also selfcentred and may forget that their seniors may not be quite so connected and they are. They press the Send button and go on to the next task instead of using the phone or face-to-face contact to check the message got through. Employers cant rely on them to have practical, humdrum workplace skills, perhaps because so many have been brought up with home helpers. They expect everyday tasks to be done for them. They also switch jobs regularly.
We do not expect a young employee to stay in one job for the rest of their lives, but a minimum of two years commitment will prove they are not too jumpy. Generation Y also has insecurities. That is why so many want civil service jobs. Those with associate degrees tend to feel inferior and non-degree holders especially rate the importance of monetary reward highly. They may suffer from labelling by classmates when, in reality, they can be better qualified, more mature, and much better prepared for the workplace. Approximately 40% overall rate money and recognition as the most motivating factor at work according to our new survey.1 Hirers looking at past records want to see consistent extra-curricular interests and talent. During job interviews, they check CVs for team players and capable problem-solvers. Mandarin is another invaluable asset if they are to compete with overseas and mainland counterparts. Every year, about 6 million mainlanders graduate. Some hunt for jobs in Hong Kong and we dont mind employing them.
27
Interview
Companies team up local trainees with those from overseas and the mainland. Young people here, 60% of whom have had overseas exchange experience, should be well prepared. Hong Kong is a cosmopolitan city which offers many chances to widen horizons. Communication is the essence of good employeremployee relationships. Most employers find members of the young workforce want to be in control and are not always good at following instructions. They may stay up late to complete a task but be unaware of others' working hours. The boss needs to appreciate young people, and young people need to learn from the boss. Assessment of personality is important and allows for analysis that can be linked with core competencies. The Chinese Personality at Work (CPW) Questionnaire2 we use is based on the internationally recognized Big Five Model3 but focuses on traits particularly relevant to Chinese work behaviour.
These include deference to authority, tenacity, non-abrasiveness and modesty. Underlying traditional Chinese attitudes with which they have been brought up at home and at school and these are not measured by CPW. Our conclusion is that the personalities of young people here differ little from those of their peers in the workforce elsewhere in the developed world. Another factor sought by hirers is willingness to understand and be part of the community. We encourage young people to do more voluntary work. They need to show they have the heart to care. Through serving minority groups they can become more mature, sharpen social awareness and stay abreast of change. Common sense is often what concerns the employers most. Knowing what prospective employers are seeking is imperative for job candidates. They focus on a handful of skill-sets. Top of the list is communication skills. As Virginia Choi says Communication is the essence of good employer-employee relationships.
Written in collaboration with Jenny Liu, who is studying Government and Laws at HKU.
Tamty McGill Consultants International Ltd. Who is our Generation Y? Characteristics and preferences at Workplace. 2012 http://www.tamtymcgill.com/products01.htm3 http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Five_personality_traits http://www.tamtymcgill.com/products01.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Five_personality_traits
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Photo by by Frulein SchillerAnna Lena Schiller
Youth watch
Money and careers opinions and trends

Post-80s youth grew up since 1980 in a world which has seen huge shifts in attitudes, in technology and in the influence of globalization. Their attitudes to money have changed as a result, influencing its importance in their choice of work. We look at a sample of surveys, first from Hong Kong, and then from overseas.
HONG KONG : global influence
It would appear there is a new prudency among the The global financial crisis altered the way many young young. In the 2009 HKFYG survey cited above, nearly Hong Kong people think about financial security and 90% said they saved regularly. The majority (64.7%) said responsibilities. A survey conducted by HKFYG in it was mainly to contend with emergencies. According February 20091 showed that for 35% keeping their job to a survey5 commissioned by HSBC in 2010, 74% of was their priority, while over 26% said they would feel 800 post-80s interviewed had specific saving goals. On secure if they had a large amount of money saved. In a average, they started investing at 21, nine years earlier 2003 HKFYG survey2, by contrast, 58% said high salary than their parents had. Further education was a major would be the biggest draw, when looking for a job. saving goal for students, but once they started working Preferred type of work also changed dramatically between their main goal switched to purchasing property. 2003 and 2009. The number who wanted a government job almost doubled and those who wanted to work for a privately owned company dropped drastically.3 In 2011, a University of Hong Kong survey4 found young people were better educated that their parents, but their median income was lower. This study of 1529 year-olds found incomes ranged from HK$6,000HK$14,000 a month. Participants said they sometimes felt frustrated about facing a glass ceiling, and 50% believed promotions were hard to come by. However, more than 60% felt in control of their finances.
80.0% 60.0% 40/0% 20.0% 0.0%
et c. s sa ve r od nc r ty ,m ar ria ge ho Ot he ie sh ou ld ge
$
29
64.7%
16.3%
6.2%
5.4%
5.3%
1.9%
te ll
ild
Fo r
On e
in
pe
bi
ts
yp ro
ha
Saving for the future

61 .0 % 50 .6 % 47 .8 %
To
bu
Figure 2 Saving habits Source: HKFYG poll 183
.2 % 35 .5 %
33
26 .
9%
11
2%
7%
9.
5%
7.
2. 6
5.
Go ve r
Figure 1 Priorities in job choice
Source: HKFYG polls 117, 168, 183
bu ya pr o pa y t per t ui tio y To n ru fe n es ab To us in pa es To yo pa s yr To cre en d m t ak it ca e To an rd d bu eb in ve ye t st xp en me siv nt W To he e ite go n in on ms te re ho st lid ra a te sa y re lo w No ne Ot ed he to r bo rro w
NG Os
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Pr iv at e/ co m m er cia l
tm en
td
ep
ar
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To
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en
Figure 3 Reasons for borrowing or living on credit Source: HKFYG poll 183
To
5.4%
6%
.1
Do
n' t
kn
ow /h ar d
er
em
ce
ch
to
Youth watch
Borrowing money
HKFYG research6 found that most young people would only borrow to buy property (43.6%), pay tuition fees (26.6%) or run a business (17%). Nearly two-thirds did not agree it was clever to borrow instead of earning and the majority did not think those who knew how to make money quickly deserved admiration or were particularly smart.
Moving on
People will move for money. A survey conducted by the South China Morning Posts Classified Post9 section, in conjunction with its sister Chinese-language publication Jiu Jik in July-September 2011, found that those most likely to leave their company over the next six months were those making less than HK$20,000 monthly (62.2%), indicating a strong belief among these respondents that they could boost their pay.
Doing it for themselves

A joint Hong Kong Trade Development Council and HKFYG survey7 of more than 1,000 Hongkongers aged 18-35, was conducted from November 2010 to January 2011. It revealed that more than 80% had no interest in running their own businesses. This was mainly due to an abundance of jobs in the city that offered reasonable pay and a stable income. However, some 17% of respondents could be called Hong Kongs new class of entrepreneurs. Among these, about 6% said they operated their own businesses, 4% said they planned to start a business in the coming three years, and 7% were generally interested in opening their own company, but had few, if any, concrete plans. Other HKFYG studies8 on entrepreneurship also found that only 7.5% had put their ideas about setting up in business into practice. However, the financial crisis seemed to have little effect on those considering entrepreneurship. (See Figure 5).
Mainland option
Local young people are keener today to find work outside Hong Kong. According to a 2003 HKFYG study10 only 15.5% entertained the idea, but by 2009 this had more than doubled to 34.6%. This is backed up by a study conducted by the School of Communication of Hong Kong Baptist University, Career Perspectives of Local and Non-local Tertiary Students,11 conducted online in June and July 2011. It polled 2,423 students (1,828 local and 595 non-local) in full time tertiary education. 80% of local students were keen to stay at home to start their careers, but 67% of the sample would consider working on the mainland and other countries. For those wishing to stay home, the majority (26%) were attracted by salaries in their home city, followed by abundant job opportunities (19%). A study by the Bauhina Foundation12 found nearly half of the respondents had considered relocating to other cities in the next 10 years.
Get a paid job
Run a business
Be self-employed
Dont know/ hard to say
Figure 4 Choice of job during financial crisis

41.2% 42.0% 40.6%
Source: HKFYG poll 183

Would-be entrepreneurs
50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
42.4% 42.2% 42.6%
Overall
27.3% 30.4% 24.7% 28.0% 26.3% 29.3% 25.0% 23.0% 26.7% 25.5% 24.7% 26.1%
New entrepreneurs
Figure 5 Have you ever thought of running your own business? Source: HKFYG poll 141 and Youth Studies 46
12.9% 13.8% 12.2%
5.7% 7.0% 4.7%
4.1% 2.6% 5.4%
Wish to make more money
Wish to enjoy more freedom
Enjoy the challenge and sense of achievement
Have friend(s) sharing business start-up dream
not satis ed with previous job or career prospects
Realise one's dreams
Support family
Contrubute to society
Wish to launch innocative, unique products onto the market
Others
1.7% 2.6% 0.9%
Yes
No
30
Have never thought about it
Already worked in the YRD
Don't know
Figure 6 Why start your own business? Source: HKTDC Research. Unleashing Hong Kongs creative youth. Survey conducted with HKFYG. 2011.
Figure 7 Careers on the mainland Source: HKFYG poll 133 and Youth Studies 29 & 46
OVERSEAS Britain
In Britain, salary, benefits and bonuses are graduates top career priorities. Research from the Hay Group13, a management consultancy, compared graduate level salaries from its remuneration database PayNet, with 400 UK graduates expectations for six key company functions: HR, finance, IT, sales and marketing, legal and engineering. Salary data is based on more than 10,000 graduate level wages in more than 600 midsized and large private sector organizations in the UK. The overwhelming majority (93%) of 2011 graduates described base pay as an important or very important factor in their career choice and their top three criteria after salary were financial benefits (51%), future earnings outlook (45%) and bonus potential (37%). Passion for the job was only considered important by 16%, as were the values and beliefs of an organization.
India
Youth watch
Priorities for young people in India are changing and job security is no longer the deciding factor. According to research at Banaras Hindu University15, Job satisfaction, personal growth, followed by money are high on the priority list with job security trailing.
East Africa
The Holla 2011 Youth Survey16 compared materialist priorities of Kenyan, Tanzanian and Ugandan youth. 36% of them preferred material wealth to anything else, especially in Uganda where 62% of 20-24 yearolds aspired to wealth. 18% of youth across all these East African nations wanted a comfortable life whereas career mattered most for only 10%.
International
In the academic world, researchers said contentment with their chosen profession depended on more than pay, according to an international salary and career survey conducted by Nature in 201017. More than 10,500 post-doctoral scientists responded to the survey, which examined overall career satisfaction and contributory factors, by career stage, gender and geographical region. By comparing the average satisfaction scores, guidance from superiors or coworkers was the most important, followed by salary.
United States
In the US, money is also a significant factor in young adults decisions regarding their education and future careers. A study14 by Viacom of more than 1,100 US 18-24-year-olds, conducted from February-March 2011, found 44% of all respondents thought money was a big factor in choosing a career. They also expected their lives to be harder than their parents, with 45% saying it would be harder to earn enough money to support the lifestyle they would like to lead, and 53% saying it would be harder to save money for their retirement. The study found education costs worried many students and among those who had seriously considered dropping out of college in the past three months, 58% said financial problems were a factor.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
HKFYG Youth Poll series 183. The Effects of the Financial Tsunami on Young Peoples Views towards Money and Careers. 2009. HKFYG Youth Poll series 117. Face the reality. 2003. HKFYG Youth Poll series 117, 168, 183. A Study on Understanding our Young Generation. Commissioned by the Central Policy Unit, HKSAR. University of Hong Kong. 2011. http://www.hsbc.hk/1/2/about/media-releases/news?filename=n10jun07e&lang=en HKFYG Youth Poll series 183. HKTDC Research. Unleashing Hong Kongs creative youth. Survey conducted with HKFYG. 2011. Youth Poll series 141 Youths views on running business. Youth Poll Series 183; HKFYG Youth Study 46. Difficulties in starting a business. 2011. South China Morning Post, Classified Post. 1 October 2011. HKFYG Youth Study 29. Seeking Employment in the Pearl River Delta. 2003; HKFYG Youth poll 133 After the PRD. 2004; Youth Study 42. Study of Employment Opportunities and Attracting Young Talent. 2009. http://www.comm.hkbu.edu.hk/hongCOMM/files/PressRelease_2011.10.26_CareerPerspective_Eng.pdf Bauhinia Foundation. Diversity of Youth Aspirations. http://www.bauhinia.org/publications/Youth%20aspiration%20press%20release20101213-en.pdf http://www.haygroup.com/uk/press/details.aspx?id=31100 http://www.schools.com/news/ap-viacom-money-factor-in-school-career-choices.html Times of India, 5 September 2011 http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-09-05/work/29938612_1_job-security-job-satisfaction-priority-list Consumer Insight Africa Survey 2011. http://www.trinityafer.com/en/index.php/news/6437-no-apologies-were-material-youth-in-a-material-world http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/salary/survey/2010/index.html
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
31
Interview
Consumerism: driv
$
Converging values
rof Kara Chan, Head of the Department of Communication Studies at Hong Kong Baptist University and specialist in consumer behaviour, offers insights into young peoples attitudes to money and spending.
Hong Kongs youth grow up within a highly competitive education system, in a cramped urban environment, with families and friends who usually take a keen interest in conspicuous consumption. Many live in highrise buildings above shopping malls or close to shopping centres. Their schools are often nearby1 and they are bombarded with consumer products and advertisements. Prof Kara Chans latest book, Youth and Consumption2, explores the effects this can have.
Consumerist influences
Young people want to buy and shops are open 12 hours a day, 7 days a week in Hong Kong. The young are influenced by advertising, parents and peers. Shopping has also become a form of entertainment. However, nearly 80% of young people polled in a survey4 about attitudes to money said their spending was motivated by practical need. The balance said they shopped because they wanted to be trendy, wanted well-known, brandname goods and peer approval, or were motivated by sheer vanity. The media provide other influences. As elsewhere in the world celebrities are used to advertise and endorse highend brands which appear attractive, especially to young consumers, as a result. If Joey Yung or Eason Chan5 wears/uses/believes in the product, then I should too. Convinced by celebrity endorsement, young people use them as yardsticks of fashion, but are usually realistic enough about their limits to be influenced more by their
Figure 1 Young Peoples Attitudes to Money
Agree
64
Most youngsters in Hong Kong are brought up within the Confucian tradition and their attitudes reveal the pragmatism that is typical of families here. Yet, they are often over-protected and viewed, paradoxically, as being both vulnerable and needing guidance, but on the other hand competent and able to make independent choices.3 The implications suggest that parents and their offspring are at the crossroads of modernity and traditionalism. Confucian family values prevalent in Hong Kong oblige children to support their parents for life. This intensifies the pressure to achieve success. Some young people may come to use consumption as a way to escape. In such a context, materialistic values can become a threat, as in the following example from Prof Chans chapter on Consumerism and Materialistic Value Orientations. A Hong Kong TV commercial, condemned by the authorities for conveying the wrong message, showed a working class father picking up his son after school. The son turned away from his father because of his lowly looks. When the father arrived dressed well, the boy returned to his arms.
Neutral
Disagree
62 %
70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 0% 10%
56
53
37
42
46
47
48 32 %
32
7%
48
6%
Money is not all powerful
4%
Work is all about money
With money you have a better future
Money can buy happiness
5%
The most important thing in the world is money
6%
Money helps you make friends
32
Source: HKSKH Kowloon City Children and Youth Integrated Services Jockey Club Youth Express 2007, referred to in Youth and Consumption.
6%
Interview
ving youths spending

Figure 2 Material values
40% 20%
36
36
37
28
30
33 % 37 %
friends when it comes to buying. They are essentially keeping up with the Joneses or yan yau ngor yau in Cantonese or, if others have it I want it too. Whatever is hot fashion is a must, as the locals would say, tsiu yan bip bei. Parents often use material goods as rewards. In turn, children compare their friends possessions with their own, and are burdened by a desire to keep up with them. As the table Material Values shows, the majority think that the more they can afford to buy, the happier they will be. Consumption plays a central role in social interaction among young people, says Prof Chan, but they may not be equipped to judge the long-term effects. Media literacy is badly needed. to help them understand, how the media function (and) how media and advertising work together to create attitudes and demands that are good for vendors of consumer goods but not necessarily good for living a fulfilled life.

1
0%
Buying more Life would be could make me better if I happier owned certain things Buying things gives me a lot of pleasure What I own says lots about me I admire people with expensive homes, cars, clothes I like luxury
Source: Chan, Kara. Youth and Consumption, chapters 2 & 11.6
For example, within a mile of one of Hong Kongs premier shopping sites, Festival Walk in Kowloon Tong, there are 12 kindergartens, 17 primary schools, 24 secondary schools, 2 universities and a vocational training institute. Chan, Kara. Youth and Consumption. City University of Hong Kong Press, 2011. Youth and Consumption, p11. This confirms views published in: Central Policy Unit, HKSAR Government. A Study on Understanding our Young Generation. University of Hong Kong, 2011. Excerpts from HKSKH Kowloon City Children and Youth Integrated Services Jockey Club Youth Express 2007 in Youth and Consumption, p14ff. Joey Yung and Eason Chan are singers. Moses Chan is a TV actor. Prof Kara Chan refers to them in a research paper in preparation (2012). Survey of 685 secondary and post-secondary students by Hong Kong Baptist University and HKU SPACE. 2004. Over half the respondents were from households with an income of HK$10,000 HK$30,000.
2 3
4 5 6
12
16
21
21
22
39 % 39 %
43
42
parents and their offspring are at the crossroads of modernity and traditionalism.
Agree
%
Neutral
Disagree
60%
60
48
% % %
33
Feature
Drama
Familiar Family
by Gary Heilbronn
a one-act play
Characters
This short play is a new departure for Youth Hong Kong. Intended to stimulate reflection and discussion, it depicts a family drama in a realistic setting, dealing with problems connected to the theme of this issue.
Setting
Apartment, Hong Kong private housing estate; Sunday evening Table laid for 5, fast food, dim sum, pot noodles, mango pudding Sofa middle stage Kitchen upstage Door stage right TV stage right, sound off, showing football match Computer desk stage left, with, littered with technical equipment
Lynda mother, primary school teacher, about 40, wearing leggings and t-shirt Tak father, (solicitors clerk), mid forties, wearing jeans and polo shirt Tim eldest son, 17, , slightly unkempt, wearing leather jacket Melia daughter, 15, attractive, wearing fashion clothes Luke younger son, 13, a bit chubby, wearing shorts
TAK seated on sofa, reading newspaper LUKE lying on floor watching TV LYNDA in kitchen MELIA sitting at computer with headphones, jiggling in seat to inaudible music
LYNDA Dinners ready!
(TAK gets up from sofa and goes to table. LUKE gets up from floor and follows TAK. Doorbell rings. MELIA opens door and grille. Sound of grille opening. TIM pushes in past MELIA, slamming grille. MELIA closes door. TIM goes straight to computer.)
LUKE Im hungry. Wah, dim sum!

(TIM fiddles with switches, loud rap music begins.)
TAK Tim? What are you doing there boy? Its time to eat.
34
Feature
Drama
TIM
(aggressively)
You know already! Ive told you before. I want be a sound engineer. My friends say its a cool job that really takes real talent. And they say some people make big money at it. MELIA
(Giggles)
LUKE Why do we always have to wait for Tim? LYNDA Where have you been Tim? ..Please tear yourself away from that computer, dear.and turn the music down so that we can talk.
TAK Hows your studying going Tim?
TIM
(jerks his chin, grunts)
Youve gotta be joking! What do your geeky friends know? All those guys working the music clubs downtown barely make enough money to buy their own cigarettes! TIM
(Looks angrily at MELIA.)
Hmm. OK.
TAK You need good marks for university you know. Hong Kongs expensive and lifes a lot easier if youve got good qualifications. How about doing law, or accounting?
Youre just jealous! MELIA Come on. Only the guys who own the clubs make money. Even the bands playing there are paid peanuts and the techies are even poorer. They work all night for almost nothing. TIM
(spitefully)
TIM All right, all right. Im coming.

(TIM turns down sound, still faintly audible, walks upstage. Others now all seated at table.) (aside to audience)
TIM
(Looks down at food, stops slurping noodles, takes out earphones, obviously annoyed but trying not to show it.)
Ill come when I feel like. Why cant they give me space. What do they want to talk about anyway?
(TIM turns and goes to sit at table.) (MELIA chats to LYNDA. They eat hamburgers. Luke still watching football on TV while eating dim sum. TIM sits, puts in earphones, puts phone beside his bowl of noodles.TAK gets up and walks upstage without eating anything.)
Im doing all I need to do, all right? Im not going to waste time on some useless stuff. I know what I want to do.
LYNDA
(Kindly)
Its all right for you. You were born with the brain of an accountant and it hasnt developed since. Moneys the only thing you think about. MELIA So what if I want to be rich?
(LYNDA walking back to the table carrying dessert, draws a breath and visibly winces.)
Whats that, dear?

(LYNDA stands and goes to kitchen with empty plate.) (aside to audience)
TAK
(aside to audience)
Ive got to tackle Tim about the future the exams are soon cant let him waste his chances.
(Walks back to table. Places hand on TIMs shoulder.)
I really need to defuse all this tension. MELIA

(Draws a breath and rolls her eyes.)
Dad works his butt off but hes never going to be rich. And look at Mum, spending all her life with snotty-nosed kids!
(Throws up her arms in gesture of disgust.)
You dont wanna know mum.
35
Feature
Drama
LYNDA Thats unfair, love.

(pleading, hurt)
Teaching is good for the world. Moneys not everything you know. I get satisfaction from what I do with the children at school.
TAK Your mothers right. Im interested in what I do too and it helps other people. Making a worthwhile contribution is important.
LYNDA I think you could be a bit kinder, Melia love, dont you?
(Serving dessert in silence.)
TIM Im off out now. Got band practice ... wont be late.
(Walks towards door, takes packet of cigarettes out; puts cigarette in mouth.)
TIM Her hearts just a money-box.

(They eat dessert in silence. MELIA smiles to herself.)
LYNDA Tim darling, youll ruin your health with those things.
(TIM ignores her; starts whistling tunelessly as he opens the door. LYNDA sits down again at table, heavily, looking hopeless.)
TAK
(Sighs and coughs to break the silence)
MELIA It may be important to you. But Tim over there just wants to work for some sort of seedy night-club owner. And look at Luke. He wants to be a professional footballer! At least he might make enough to keep us in noodles when you two retire.
(Melia smiling victoriously, wide eyes sparkling cheekily. TAK and LYNDA look shocked.)
Melia, my dear, lots of people dont really know what they want to do with their lives. They just have to try to do the best they can. A few are lucky and know just what they want. Then there are those like your mother who want to make the world a better place. MELIA
(Looks uncomprehendingly at her father and slurps her dessert.) (LYNDA gets up and walks stage left.)
MELIA Please dont turn up the TV Luke. I want to Skype that student I met at the party last weekend. Hes gone back to New York.
(MELIA walks to computer, sits, takes mirror and mascara from pocket; starts applying makeup.)
MELIA
(aside to audience)
LYNDA
(aside to audience)
TAK All right my dear, but dont monopolize the computer. Tim, have you finished your homework? Tim?...
(TIM is already closing the door; grille slams; LUKE sits on floor in front of TV; TAK goes to do washing up in kitchen; LYNDA sits at table, head in hands; rap music continues.)
I really know how to press their buttons! Look at them. Theyre so obvious.
LUKE What dyou know about anything! All you can do is buy clothes.
(Returns his gaze to the TV).
I wish I could eat as much as Melia. Its unfair. But Id better start thinking about school tomorrow.
(LYNDA walks back to table.)
THE END
LUKE Can I have some more pudding please? LYNDA Well you shouldnt really, dear. Anyway, its nearly all gone. Have you got your schoolbag ready?
MELIA
(aside to audience)
I can just see myself in a flashy boardroom at a big corporation in Central. Maybe even London.
(Sits again, preening.)
Readers: Please let us know if you found this dramatic treatment useful or stimulating. We suggest that it could be used for role-play in the classroom or as material for liberal studies. Your feedback would be most welcome and would encourage us to use the thematic genre again.
36
In the loop
Critical thinking
for school, university and beyond
he term critical thinking is sometimes misunderstood. It does not mean being argumentative, or being critical of others, although critical thinking skills can be used to expose fallacies and bad reasoning. This article explains how they may be acquired.
Most people would agree that critical thinking is important, but improving ones own thinking is notoriously difficult. It requires meta-thinking, careful reflection on ones own principles of reasoning, a deliberate effort to internalize those principles and apply them in daily life. This often requires training. With an educator and her students we explore some ways to achieve this.
What does critical thinking involve?

thinking independently interpreting and evaluating information to infer logical meaning approaching issues from multiple perspectives on various levels analysing and integrating information examining beliefs; detecting inconsistencies synthesizing information, making judgments and coming up with solutions structuring thoughts in order to relay ideas clearly in written and spoken form
How can critical thinking be taught?

Making critical thinking a habit thats transferrable across school, university, and beyond is a challenge for learners, educators and parents. Teaching critical thinking means teaching how to think effectively in order to find possible solutions to difficult questions. This entails a paradox because it means thinking about thinking. Educators use a number of strategies to achieve this. A teacher called it Thinking Skills + Contents = Application or the Three Es.
Engage students with interesting

questions to open discussion Entertain by making it fun and thought-provoking Empower through application to essays, debates, impromptu presentations Three students explain how to start on page 38.
Antonia, Sabrina and Hanson
37
In the loop
What are the first steps?

Sabrina You need background information first. You can use Wikipedia for this but you have to use the references at the end of the main articles and check that they agree on the facts. If so, I would trust them. At school we also use Newsbank to search by keywords and compare newspaper articles. Past experience helps you judge trustworthiness too. Hanson You have to be logical. Dont just listen to others and take what they say for granted. Question them; think actively; look for solid facts; then reach your own conclusions. For example, if you were choosing a new computer, first you need to decide on your budget, the features you need and the functions you want it to perform. Listen to other people but remember that older doesnt always mean wiser! Antonia Everyone uses the web but it is not that trustworthy. You have to cross-check and it is timeconsuming. Think about the issue at different levels: personal, political, social, economical, societal and global. Try to analyze and not be too influenced by others opinions. Focus on facts instead. Ask people, but be aware of possible bias, listen to several people not just one.
How are language and communication skills involved?

If language skills are weak, students have problems comprehending and trying to think about complex topics at the same time. This may mean they lose motivation or revert to rote learning. With requisite language skills, exposure to good thinking and interesting questions will inspire students. They will want to learn and will develop the ability to see their own strengths and weaknesses. This prompts them to look beyond text books. It helps further language development and leads to life-long learning.
What are the benefits?

Students who think critically become better impromptu thinkers. They are good at brainstorming, exchanging ideas and structuring arguments. Hence, they will have better presentation and communication skills. Good critical thinking might be seen as the foundation of a liberal, democratic society, the proper functioning of which needs citizens who can think critically about social issues and overcome biases and prejudice. The essay below is an example of this approach.
Sources http://philosophy.hku.hk/think/critical/ct.php http://faculty.ed.uiuc.edu/rhennis/SSConcCTApr3.html http://www.canberra.edu.au/studyskills/learning/critical http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/crit_think/Critical%20Spirit.htm
Integrity, trust and the law by Hanson Datwani

In Hong Kong, we have a strong sense of the law. I believe that the law should affect everyone equally. No one should be above it and nobody should be sheltered beneath it. Over the years, the people of Hong Kong have built up trust for the law, but recent news has undermined that trust. Scandals concerning people in positions of leadership have raised doubts about the core values of the Hong Kong system and the integrity of our leaders. Trust, not only in the law but also in the judgment of those leaders is shaken. Leaders are constantly under public scrutiny. This is a great responsibility to bear and a leader should do nothing that can cause suspicion to be raised. It will
* With thanks to Jennifer Ma, Founder and Director, ARCH Academy, for information about the Socrates Program.
damage their credibility and the authority they need to lead. By committing suspicious, rash or impulsive acts, a leader will cause the public to doubt him or her. Hong Kong used to have a business advantage because of the Rule of Law, the integrity of its leaders and its free market. But how will international business leaders trust the Hong Kong system in the future? How are we, Hong Kong people, supposed to have faith in our legal system when we have seen its potential weaknesses? Hanson Datwani is 14 and goes to St Pauls Co-educational College. He enjoys debating and attends the ARCH Academy Socrates Program, as do Antonia and Sabrina.
38
Arts & culture
THE HUNGER GAMES

Directed by Gary Ross Starring Jennifer Lawrence (as Katniss Everdeen) and Josh Hutcherson (as Peeta) Genre Adventure science fiction Original language English Target audience Teenagers and young adults Rating by commenters
reviewed by Jimin Kang This film has been taking the world by storm. Set in post-apocalyptic Panem, once North America, where the countrys Capitol, a highly advanced metropolis, holds hegemony. A boy and girl aged 12-18 are selected by lottery from the 12 districts surrounding the Capitol annually to compete in the Hunger Games, a televised battle to the death. The Hunger Games book series achieved huge success before being transformed into this very successful major motion picture. What makes it so entertaining? Are people attracted to the notion of a totalitarian regime led by a cruel leader? Or are they drawn by the complicated yet beautiful relationship between the two main protagonists, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark? If you ask me, there is one simple answer: the characters. First on my list is, of course, Katniss. Being a 16 year-old whose family depends on you definitely makes you a tough character! Katniss is brave, rebellious and strong, totally reminiscent of other famously feisty females like Joan of Arc. And just like many of them, she is fiercely loyal.
The DVD release date for this film is 18 August 2012.
Second, Katnisss eventual lover, Peeta. He is the exact opposite of Katniss, with his thoughtful demeanour, outgoing disposition, and a heart as soft as the bread he makes. Peeta is portrayed as an extremely likable character. He is also a cogent speaker.
Jimin Kang,
Last but not least is Cinna, Katnisss stylist. He is quiet, but has amazing ideas. His designs make the dullest things shimmer with life. He is creative, imaginative and trustworthy. Not to mention, extremely supportive. There are many other characters in The Hunger Games you might relate to. The way author Suzanne Collins uses diversity among the characters really enables you to bond with them in a way that leaves an impact on you forever.
is in Year 9 at South Island School. Her hobbies are writing, reading and playing musical instruments.
Comments
Eileen My daughters liked The Hunger Games very much and are now reading the books. The younger one may not have understood all of the film but she did say that she appreciated people were really dying. I think reading the books will help her understand the plot better. Ada I read the three books before I saw the film. Although I enjoyed the movie, the books had far more complex characterization based on moral choices. The topical themes of poverty, starvation, oppression, the effects of war and defiance of authoritarian leaders, were also explored in much more depth.
With thanks to UA Films and Emperor Motion Pictures for artwork
Ed The film is based on a trilogy by Suzanne Collins which draws on Roman gladiatorial games, reality TV and the Iraq War for its inspiration. The author adapted her story for the screen. A sequel film, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, is due later this year.
39
Arts & culture
Time to Kindle the Fire
or is it?
by Serena Chow
People in the electronic publishing market have been hyped up about Amazons latest brainchild the Kindle Fire. An avid book lover and proud owner of a Kindle Classic, I got my hands on one and compared it to my Kindle Classic and other tablets currently in the market.
magazines and websites cannot be automatically resized, so words are tightly packed together.
Not so silky but has email and apps

The Fire uses the Silk browser, which does not really live up to its smooth-sounding name. Users may also be disappointed by lack of 3G connectivity and the clumsy positioning of the arrow that unlocks the screen right in the middle, unlike the conventional bottom-of-screen slide key. Users cannot customize their locked screen wallpapers either. The Fire certainly has advantages. Unlike the Classic, it has parental controls, allowing for password protecting purchases, disabling of access to specific content libraries, and blocking access to the Silk web browser. In addition, the Fire has a simple email app which users can sync with their Gmail accounts. Whats more, Fire users can enjoy one paid app free every day, mixing fun with business on their Fire! At about HK$1,560, the Fire has the edge over other tablets on the market despite its chunky interface and comparatively sluggish performance, especially when similar tablets are two or three times its price. But personally, for old-fashioned readers like me who use the Kindle solely for reading pleasure, the Kindle Classic is good enough for now.
Downsides and delights

Physically, the Fire is half the size of Apples iPad2, making it easier to hold. The downside is its weight and bulk. On the plus side, it has a 7-inch LCD with backlight, enabling reading in darkness. Book lovers will also be delighted by the choice of eight fonts and if you are bored with the black on white, you can change to white on black, or even brown on yellow. The screen is gratifyingly ultra touch-sensitive. Just a simple tap can take you where you want to go. However, readers may be dismayed by the fact that they cannot tap on the bezel to turn the pages a major let down as the bezel takes up quite a lot of space.
Serena Chow is in S5 at St Pauls Convent School. She loves reading and music.
40
Fortunately, the Fire makes up by having excellent screen quality, rivaling even the iPad2. It has a 1024X600 pixel resolution with 169 pixels per inch (ppi), compared with 132 ppi on the iPad2. Coupled with clear, vibrant colours, the Fire makes reading comics marvellous, except for the cramped text. Readers cannot even pinch-zoom the pages. Similarly,
Internetscope
Photo by by sewsewnsew
Online Shopping: The Artisan Spell

The hip, the forward-looking and the up-to-date have all turned to the new big thing: online shopping. From 2007 to 2010, Hong Kongs online shopping population leapt from 2.4 million to 3.5 million. But the hippest of all have discovered a fresh, up-and-coming type of shopping: online artisan markets. accounts. It is most used by 18-34 year-old females, but is becoming more and more popular with younger buyers. I am certainly under Etsys spell, to the detriment of my school grades. I have whiled away many an hour, gazing at the Etsy front page, that beautiful front page filled with artistically photographed jewellery, airy bucolic paintings and charming vintage dresses.
by Lee Ming-yan
Handmade and social

As the name suggests, these websites focus on artisanship and handmade objects. Simply put, they are online venues where craft vendors set up virtual stores. Most of them are social shopping marketplaces, so instead of focusing only on individual sellers, there is also a sense of community. (Contentious chat forums, anyone?). They combine two of womens favourite activities talking and shopping... so no wonder this novel concept is rapidly gaining momentum! A popular example is Etsy.com. Only merchandise that is handmade or vintage can be sold there, plus the supplies for making such goods. From Etsys humble startup in 2005, it has already grown to over 800,000 seller accounts and 12 million buyer
Reflecting Hong Kong arts

Etsys increasing global popularity extends to Hong Kong youth and can be taken as a reflection of our budding arts scene and growing interest in the arts. Clockenflap, the music festival, was established in 2007 and is one of a kind. M+, by HK standards a herculean contemporary art museum, is scheduled to open by 2018. Scores of secondary schools are embracing student-hosted fashion shows. Among my own classmates, there has been a newfound hunger for the arts, whether it be photography, fashion or painting. Furthermore, todays teens pride themselves on their individual identities, on being hipster. The uniqueness of the handmade has therefore become much more appealing than the generic pull of the mass-produced. These culture shifts in Hong Kong are exemplified by the growing popularity among youth of online artisan marketplaces such as Etsy. Importantly, they not only reflect, but continue to promote a reappreciation of individuality while cultivating growth of art forms that can be fuelled by the internet. So go check it out. Besides, its just shopping. How hard can that be?
Photo by by Salihan
Lee Ming-yan is a 15 year-old student at the Chinese International School.
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Photo by by heatherknitz
Internetscope
Klout vs Identified
by Sabrina Roberts All social media sites have a way of making users feel they can boost status through effort. Twitter uses a follower count. LinkedIn displays the number of your connections. Facebook shows how many likes you have, and so on. One new app to add to this effect is Klout. Klout is basically a way to create your online reputation. You connect it to all your social media accounts and it gives you an overall rating from 1 to 100. This rating is based on the number of accounts you have, how active you are, who comments on your posts and whether you are making a positive difference in the world. Klout looks at your overall picture across different social media platforms. your Facebook page and giving you a score according to the breadth and depth of that information. You can increase your score by making connections with influential people. Identified is still experimental, so only time will tell if it can attract the right businesses and become a professional search service.
Social media metrics
Strategic social media

There are several differences between Klout and Identified. The former does not have a specific purpose. It was developed two years ago and is flexible, working across social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, WordPress and Blogger. Identified works only on Facebook and is new. Overall, I think that neither Klout nor Identified is perfect on its own and using both applications is the solution. You can start with Klout to broaden your social circle and then use Identified to focus on specific areas on interest.
Addictive counting
This kind of competitive counting game can lead to addiction. Because so many people are obsessed with scoring 100, they ignore tasks and duties. Students fail at school, adults cannot concentrate at work and waste lots of time checking and updating social media. Many people are also adding Klout scores to resums because businesses use them to assess the personality of job candidates. Identified is a similar but newer app that is built on Facebook and has a more specific purpose than Klout. It shows what your Facebook page looks like to job recruiters, taking all the information from
Sabrina Roberts is in Grade 8 at the Canadian International School. She attends the ARCH Academy Socrates Program and enjoys extra curricular sports.
42
Ed Klout is at http://klout.com/home. More comment at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klout. The beta version of Identified can be found at http://www.identified.com/. Similar metrics are Kred, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kred_Influence_Measurement, and Peerindex, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PeerIndex
Photo by allisoncrow
On the agenda
Increased prosperity
and growing imbalances
by Antonia Heng
ccording to surveys of wealth growth, the number of affluent people in China has grown faster than anywhere in Asia.1 Behind this glamorous high growth and a seemingly successful country, there are a lot of problems including child obesity, gender imbalance and a widening wealth gap. Childhood obesity The controversial one-child policy, introduced in China in 1978, was supposed to limit population growth but has resulted in many socioeconomic issues. Excessive feeding of children and child obesity is one of them. Poor health and low efficiency among the obese may mean they become unemployable as adults and thus will be dependent on government welfare. Obese people are also more likely to suffer from diabetes, high blood pressure and heart problems requiring, long term medication, hence contributing another burden on the state.
Photo by Digitalnative
Gender imbalance Chinese culture has favoured boys over girls, perhaps due to their physical strength which was important for farming. There is also the tradition that boys carry on the family name. Girls, by contrast are often abandoned at birth and Chinas boy-girl ratio is now 59:50.2 As those born during the one-child policy era reach marriageable age so it has become more difficult for men to find wives. While China builds more factories, girls are increasingly leaving rural roots to find jobs in cities. Therefore, farmers find it even more difficult to find wives. The rural birth rate has fallen and so has productivity.
Increased wealth gap While Chinas economy continues to grow quickly, the rich consume higher quality foods and more luxury goods, creating increased demand for crops. Meanwhile productivity of farmers is falling and so prices of produce are rising. As more people move into cities, so property prices also increase and inflation results. The poor are less able to afford basic necessities and the middle class cannot buy property. A bigger wealth gap results, the crime rate and demonstrations increase, eventually leading to social unrest. The one-child-policy contributes to the burdens of the mainland government, while imbalance reduces productivity and causes social unrest. Will policy change or will the problems be ignored as China gets richer?
Antonia Heng is in S2 at St Pauls Co-educational College. She attends the ARCH Academy Socrates Program and enjoys debating.
Ed A year on year increase of 16% in the number of high net worth individuals in China has been recorded since 2008. The number has doubled during this period. http://www.bain.com/Images/2011_China_wealth_management_report.pdfii Ed This figure is backed up by a report in Peoples Daily 29 March 2012, reported at http://topics.scmp.com/news/china-news-watch/article/Boy-girl-ratio-improves-but-isstill-among-worlds-worst The report goes on to say that in rural areas the sex ratio at birth could be 150:100. The natural newborn sex ratio is 103-107 boys to every 100 girls.
43
Experiencing nature in Hong Kong

ek W u Rd
City Space
an you imagine hearing a frog in the city centre? Its not impossible, as a group from a secondary school discovered on an Ecobus tour. Fish Chan, a volunteer, and Tang Chincheung, Chairman of Ecobus, explained to Ho King-yan.
by Ho King-yan
School of Biological Science, University of Hong Kong
Sh
Yin Kong Playground
Ch
Tsung Pak Long
oi
Yu e
Night Safari
Sheung Shui
Controlling human impact

The area is still facing a lot of challenges, with government proposing to develop a new town next to it which will undoubtedly affect the environment. The birds, for example, may be scared away by the noise and a lot of farmland may be removed, Fish said.
Long Valley
Hakka Wai
Rd
Po
Tai Tau Lan Fan ling Hig hw ay
Kam Tsin
Fa
nK
Hong Kong is a city with exceptionally high biological diversity. Located on the fringe of the tropics, it has habitats including woodlands, wetlands and mangroves, which support more than 500 species of bird and 250 species of butterfly.
am
Rd
Gunthers Frog
Asian Toad
44
Paddy Frog
1 2
On a night safari in Long Valley near Sheung Shui, a group of Macau Nevertheless, she firmly believes that students discovered the wildlife. once students have been inspired by the experience of real contact with Local wildlife nature, they will think critically about human pressure on the environment and evaluate its impact. The frogs started to come out after the heavy rain. The most common one here is the Paddy Passing the message Frog, which, as its name indicates lives around cultivated paddy Tang Chin-cheung, the Chairman fields, said Fish Chan, who is of Ecobus2 phylogenetics, said, majoring in Ecology and It is a pity that nowadays the Biodiversity at HKU. younger generation has so little chance to go out of the classroom Long Valley is one of the few and interact with nature. We let relatively pristine areas in Hong them appreciate the beauty of Kong where you can still observe nature and how diverse can be. quite a range of wildlife, although it was threatened by the proposed Then they will start loving construction of the Lok Ma Chau and protecting natural life. Spur Line of the KCRC1 in 2000. Eventually they will tell their Luckily, the proposal was rejected friends and families, and they will because of the great diversity of do likewise. That is our vision birds and amphibians in the area. of environmental education: to enjoy, care and share!
Photo by motnworb KCRC: Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation
Ecobus is a not-for-profit green group focusing on environmental education for the public and the younger generation. www.ecobus.org.hk
Green vision G reen vision
We are firmly committed to sustainable development and a cleaner environment for everyone who uses our facilities. Our vision is: to become a green youth organization to train green trainers to cultivate green awareness in youth
G reen inspiration Green inspiration
Going Green TODAY

By Kevin Chan
HKFYG
HKFYG news
Green facilities G reen facilities

HKFYG Organic Farm Compost manure for organic farming; encourage young people to understand organic processes Eco Camps Provide energy-saving and latest green facilities at HKFYG Outdoor Training Camps with low-carbon eco-education Create green campuses Raise awareness and improve understanding of importance of greening community in HKFYG schools
We are investing in environmentally responsible practice and will provide environmental education services for young people. Initiatives include: Signature green advocacy Annual environmental awards District activity programmes Youth SPOTs events including neighbourhood green teams and community green living initiatives Youth exchange Overseas youth study tours on best environmental practice
s a youth work organization, we are highly aware that it is our vital duty to promote environmental protection and green education. This makes green initiatives a key priority in long-term strategy.
Youth Sta HKFYG
Green goals G reen goals
Green practice G reen practice
Carbon audit Energy-cum-carbon audit at HKFYG by 2013 Energy efficiency Upgrade energy-efficient lighting and air-conditioning Contact Kevin Chan, HKFYG Environmental Officer, tel 3755 7110, for more details. in offices and Youth SPOTs Waste management Proactive recycling of office equipment and waste paper Clean air programme Participation in Indoor Air Quality Certification Scheme Green procurement Migrate to Forest Stewardship Council certified paper for printing notepaper and name cards
Boost efficiency and reduce energy consumed by 10% Increase waste recycling and reduce waste generation by 10% recruit 10,000 youth for green education programmes Identify carbon footprint and lower carbon emissions by 5%
CO2
5%
10%
10%
45
HKFYG
Outdoors in Sai Kung
HKFYG Jockey Club Sai Kung Outdoor Training Camp
o many youngsters in Hong Kong have never gone barefoot on grass, never looked at the seabed, or let earth trickle through their fingers. Their lives are insulated from the natural world, by shopping malls and air conditioning. The Federations Sai Kung camp gives them a window on nature.
Natural beauty and tranquility: the HKFYG Jockey Club Sai Kung Outdoor Training Camp
Camps like the HKFYG Jockey Club Sai Kung Outdoor Training Camp bring a breath of fresh air. Young people paddle kayaks gently through mangrove beds, hike, orienteer, snorkel, and observe the galaxies at the Sky Observatory in a breathtaking setting. The premises are currently being upgraded to provide extra accommodation for up to 460 people but the existing facilities are still open.
Photo by annamatic 3000 From Wikipedia
46
Artists impression of upgraded facilities.
Chinese Hwamei
HKFYG
Protecting the environment

Appreciation and respect for the countryside comes from knowing it, watching the seasons, touching the leaves, smelling the flowers, hearing the birds. The camps premises borders on habitats of scores of beautiful species of flora and fauna.
The legendary Vegetable Lamb of Tartary Fern (Cibotium barometz)
Photo by Chong Fat
Photo by omega9
Incense Tree (Aquilaria Sinensis)
Photo by Wikipedia image
Blue Pansy butterfly (Junonia Orithya)
Blue Whistling Thrush(Myophonus caeruleus)
Photo by Saleem Hameed
Photo by JM Garg
Brown Fish Owl (Bubo zeylonensis)
Some of these species are rare and protected, others are shy, fragile and delicate. Its a priority to conserve all of them, to leave rare ecology undisturbed, and to teach young people why that is important. Transplantation, replanting and landscaping by young volunteers and campers within the nearby Country Park will emphasize the need to ensure the future regeneration of trees, ferns, creepers and undergrowth.
Widening eyes, building confidence

Above all, the mission of the Sai Kung camp is to provide access to Hong Kongs natural resources for children and families, to give them the chance to experience adventure challenges and activities, afloat and on land. Our live-in camp base offers environmental learning, an observatory deck, a gym, swimming pool and boardwalk trails, and far, far more.
Experience the most beautiful campsite in Hong Kong.

Contact HKFYG Jockey Club Sai Kung Outdoor Training Camp Tel 2792 2727 | email otc@hkfyg.org.hk | www.hkfyg.org.hk/camp
47
HKFYG news
Celebrating fifteen years of the HKSAR

st July 2012 marks the HKSARs 15th anniversary. In 2002 and 2007 HKFYG celebrated the 5th and 10th anniversaries and this year will be fted by 8,000 young people at the Hong Kong Coliseum.
Enthusiasm and energy are characteristics of Hong Kong. To celebrate 15 years of the HKSAR in style, a mass youth multimedia performance has been organized on Monday 2 July at the Hong Kong Coliseum. The theme is Hong Kongs most significant features and its future in the hands of youth.
official commemorative event
Hong Kong Characteristics

what we are resilient in the face of turmoil or financial crisis caring and supportive in adversity: SARS what we show freedom and diversity: core values upheld charity and generosity: for victims of natural disasters what we do preserve our heritage young people
Our 15 Years:
Youth Musical Performance

Venue Hong Kong Coliseum Date Monday 2 July 2012 Time 11.00am-12.30pm
A Cappella Singing
by the mass audience and school choirs from Belilios Public School Wah Yan Kowloon College
Featuring
Young people are at the heart of our community. As Hong Kong celebrates the 15th anniversary of its establishment, they also show that they are the heart and spirit of the future.
Dr Rosanna Wong Yick-ming, Executive Director, HKFYG
Guinness Record Breaking Attempt
Conducted by Mr Chiu Tsang Hei Starring Eason Chan Kay Tse Joey Yung Lam Fung Jonathan Wong
for the Largest Body Percussion Ensemble
Conducted by Dr Lung Heung Wing
Major Sponsor The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust
48
Organizers Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups Radio Television Hong Kong Supporting organization Education Bureau Co-organizers Home Affairs Bureau The Dragon Foundation Venue sponsor Leisure and Cultural Services Department
Call 3755 7134 for more information
The Heritage of Chinese Ink
2012 China Week:
HKFYG news
HKFYG has two events taking place in the first week of July this year to celebrate China Week. First, sixty students from the Hong Kong Design Institute will demonstrate animations of selected paintings. They involve combining several original paintings into one, as in the illustration. Second, a marathon of Chinese painting will be held to stimulate interest in this popular art form.
Exhibition of Masterpieces by Xu Beihong

In cooperation with the Hong Kong Design Institute and the Xu Beihong Art Community, the Federation is showing paintings by the celebrated artist Xu Beihong at the Hong Kong City Hall Exhibition Hall, on 4 July from 10am-6pm and on 5 July from 10am-5pm. A ceremony at the official launch of the event takes place on Wednesday 4 July at 2.30pm. Admission to the exhibition free of charge.. Call 3755 7021 for more information.
Chinese Painting Marathon

The second China Week event is a marathon of Chinese paintings in acrylics at Megabox, Kowloon Bay on 7 July 2012 10am-8pm. All the paintings will be transformed into a digital mosaic animation with a "dragon" logo designed by Dr Dominic Lam Mankit. This event is for people of all ages. A ceremony at the official launch of the event takes place on Saturday 7 July from 2pm-3pm. Admission to the marathon free of charge. Call 3755 7188 for more information.
Visit www.chinaweek.hkfyg.org.hk for more details of these events
HKFYG Hong Kong Jockey Club Media 21

Media 21, popularly known as M21, is holding its first summer programme in July this year.
The new media centres goals are:

to nourish talent and build young peoples interest in media production to enhance the level of media literacy in the community to provide access to media and equipment for children and youth from deprived families to connect youth and the communities through digital media network
Highlights for coming months

M21 school network : to receive video productions directly from youth to share students own productions M21 youth film festival: to create an outlet for youthful creativity to provide a platform for screening independent youth productions
M21 is at Shek Pai Wan Shopping Centre, Shek Pai Wan Estate, Aberdeen, Hong Kong. Contact Katy Lok tel 2831 9183 for more details. Also this July DONT MISS HKFYG at the 2012 Hong Kong Book Fair Wednesday 18 July-Tuesday 24 July at Booth 1C-E22 1F Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Call Ada Chau, tel 3755 7108 for details.
49
HKFYG news
Organic Farm and
Snake
Gourd
HKFYG Summer Youth Programme
isiting the HKFYG Organic Farm this summer is an item for your diary and there is a wide range of other activities in the Federations annual Summer Youth Programme. Here are some of the highlights.
You can find all these special seasonal crops at the HKFYG Organic Farm. Spend a cool afternoon learning how to grow them and getting some hands-on experience preparing herbal drinks and doing dried-gourd hand crafts. Join us for Fun Day for H erbs and Melons On Sunday 19 August 2012 1:30pm-4:30pm For 16+ year-olds unaccompanied, younger participants with adults Quota 50 persons Cost HK$150 (transport and programme materials included; individual farm members 20% discount) Tel 2838 4808 Fax 2488 9034 Email organicfarm@hkfyg.org.hk Website organicfarm.hkfyg.org.hk
e Go Bottl
urd !!
our itter G
d !!!
Other highlights for Summer Youth Programme

Summer Learning Master English enrichment courses of seven sessions for primary students taught by experienced English teachers. Experiential learning and NLP workshop included. At HKFYG Felix Wong Youth SPOT On 18 July-15 August, 2pm-3.15pm And at the HKFYG Organic Farm on 24 August For primary school pupils Cost for registered u21 members: HK$530 PS Caf Participants will learn in 15 classroom sessions about running a caf. They will also form teams to serve customers and gain firsthand experience of menu design, catering and customer service. At HKFYG Jockey Club Ping Shek Youth SPOT Dates mid-July to mid-August For secondary school pupils Cost HK$120 Form Your Own Band (FYOB) This project provides an exchange platform for young people who are passionate about playing in a band. Participants will have the chance for self-expression through their favourite sounds. In Tin Shui Wai District and at HKFYG Tin Shui Youth SPOT From mid-July to mid-August For 13-25 year-olds Cost HK$10 to participate
Skin Yellow lon !!!! Me Water

Experience Tour: Tai O stilt-house culture Tai O is famous for its traditional fishing village and picturesque stilthouses built over the water. This 2-day1-night camp tour in Tai O includes a variety of activities including visits to handcrafted souvenir makers and tasting of traditional Tai O cuisine. Participants will learn about making fishing nets and may take a sightseeing boat to see the Chinese White Dolphin. On Thursday 23 to Friday 24 August For 14-25 year-olds Cost HK$180
50
Online registration at uportal.hk Tel 3755 7072 for further information or visit syp.u21.hk
HKFYG Zhongshan Sanxiang Youth Training Centre now open

A mansion in Sanxiang Town, Zhongshan City has been donated by Mr Chui Pui Kun for conversion into a Youth Training Centre. Accommodating over 40 for overnight stays, it also has 2 multi-function rooms, a canteen and free WiFi. Bookings for a minimum of 16 participants, from schools and other organizations in Hong Kong, can be made up to one year in advance. Programmes include volunteering with migrant children, cultural visits to the nearby museum of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, factory, photography and cycling tours.
HKFYG news
Tailor-made programmes and packages for schools and organizations Check it out http://www.facebook.com/ytc.zhongshan | Tel 2395 5759, | email camp@hkfyg.org.hk, for more information. Address No. 2 Mansion, 21 Xuetang Lane, Yongmo Village, Sanxiang Town, Zhongshan City
Tuesday 26 June 2012 in 3D at AMC Pacific Place Cinema Dragon Foundation Charity Premiere
The story behind this movie, to be released in the US on the same day as our charity premiere, features Peter Parker, alias Spiderman, a teenage social outcast with super powers. He is at high school, trying to unravel the mystery of his parents disappearance, when a mysterious briefcase belonging to his father is discovered. It is the key with which his destiny is revealed. Directed by Marc Webb and starring Andrew Garfield & Emma Stone. Proceeds of the charity showing will go towards Dragon Foundation Chinese youth development programmes which support networking and community-building worldwide.
Tel 2811 2779 to find out how to sponsor or donate.
* Spider-Man, the Character & 2012 Marvel Characters, Inc. The Amazing Spider-Man, the Movie 2012 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Title Sponsors Bucherer Hong Kong Limited Prince Jewellery and Watch Company Diamond Sponsor EK Immigration Consulting Limited Gold Sponsors Mr Kiang Ping Fai Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation Sa Sa International Holdings Limited The Verdant Foundation Silver Sponsors Mrs Rita T Liu, SBS Mr Albert Wong, MH Gracious Glory Buddhism Foundation Milan Station Pacific Power Development (NZ) Limited Partners Edko Films Limited Fine Art Film (HK) Limited Kingmart Advertising Company Sony Pictures Releasing International
51
Monday 2 July 2012 11:00am
Hong Kong Coliseum

Organizers
Publisher The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups www.hkfyg.org.hk www.u21.hk
Address Youth Hong Kong 21/F, The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups Building, 21 Pak Fuk Road, North Point, Hong Kong Tel: 3755 7084 3755 7108 Fax: 3755 7155 Email: youthhongkong@hkfyg.org.hk Website: youthhongkong.hkfyg.org.hk The title of this journal in Chinese is Xiang Gang Qing Nian

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a quarterly journal from the hongkong federation of youth groups

Going to work School Leavers Graduate Survival, prospects, fulfilment

Youth Hong Kong

INTERVIEWS Herman Chan Stanley Ng Virginia Choi

YOUTH WATCH Money and careers

Kara Chan Consumerism in youth

June 2012 | Youth Hong Kong

As ever, if you have anything to comment on, please do write to us.

Dr Rosanna Wong, DBE, JP Executive Director, HKFYG June 2012

Youth Hong Kong | June 2012

Reporte Teache id Tour gu Lawyer e Nurse r Secreta ry

Jobs ts o specy Pr Mon e

Education and income

50.0% 37.5% 25.0% 12.5% 0%

5.0% Secondary school Post-secondary diploma

15-24 years old

25-34 years old Male Female

June 2012 | Youth Hong Kong

Earning and spending

40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0% 20.4% 28.3%

40.0% 30.0% 20.0%

32.5% 16.2% 19.7% 7.2% 5.3%

10.6% 3.4% Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree

Youth Hong Kong | June 2012

60.0% 45.0% 30.0%

27.4% 32.3% 39.2%

23.5% 27.4% 35.7%

22.8% 31.7% 34.8%

32.0% 31.7% 25.3%

27.1% 30.5% 28.3%

Matching employees and employers

Satisfaction and priorities

*The post-80s, also known as Generation Y, were born after 1980.

June 2012 | Youth Hong Kong

Going to work earning prospects fulfilment

Photo by Toban Black

30% 24% 23% 15% 8% 0% 7% 14%

60% 45% 30% 15% 0%

42% 31% 17% 17% 16% 11%

act er Wo istics rkin gp lac e

Youth Hong Kong | June 2012

minimum sweeping floors

food and shelter

June 2012 | Youth Hong Kong

Youth Hong Kong | June 2012

promotion recognition focus

June 2012 | Youth Hong Kong

Kwok Lai-yi, in her early 20s, will graduate

Youth Hong Kong | June 2012

June 2012 | Youth Hong Kong

Youth Hong Kong | June 2012

June 2012 | Youth Hong Kong

Generational change: young and migrant

Youth Hong Kong | June 2012

Alisa Kwan Hoi-lam, 27, is an English

teacher at Kowloon Tong School (Secondary Section)

Money wont guarantee satisfaction, self-fulfilment or the respect of others.

June 2012 | Youth Hong Kong

a learning and consultation centre

There was a very strong sense of calling.

to preferred schools and universities in Britain and the US.

Crisis and change

I align personal values with work mission.

Youth Hong Kong | June 2012