Hong Kong society has always been in demand for governance talents. At present, those who are directly involved in relevant work in Hong Kong mainly participate in Hong Kong's public affairs within the SAR government system through appointments, elections, or promotions in the civil service; they shoulder different roles and functions in the field of Hong Kong governance. The SAR government and various social institutions, organizations and groups have been providing relevant courses or training with a view to cultivating more local governance talents.
Ensure that governance work can carry forward the past and serve as a continuation of the future
However, facing the shortage of management talent reserve is a very long-term problem. Hong Kong must establish an ecosystem covering recruitment, training, practice, transfer and inheritance to help ensure that governance work can inherit the past and continue the future, while maintaining the continuous motivation to cultivate talents.
Judging from overseas social experience in recent years, the earlier work such as recruitment and training of management talents is started, the more beneficial it will be to the development of the aspiring individuals themselves and the society as a whole. For example, in the UK, local councils, many government departments and public institutions have internship programs to recruit college students who are interested in public affairs, so that they can have an in-depth understanding of government and related governance work. The Singaporean government has set up government scholarships to advance the job of identifying talents to secondary schools. Students who receive the scholarships have the opportunity to study at famous local or overseas universities. After graduation, they will be provided with training opportunities and enter the government service for a certain period of time. In return.
In terms of transfer and inheritance, there are cooperation between local governments and private organizations to promote the secondment and matching of talents among government departments, business circles and social organizations, so that management talents have the opportunity to circulate in different positions inside and outside the government system.
On the one hand, industry experience is introduced into the government, thereby improving the level of government governance; on the other hand, government experience is brought into the private sector, so that public governance experience becomes collective social knowledge, which is conducive to the inheritance of government governance wisdom. In recent years, local non-governmental organizations in the United States have interviewed a number of officials who have held important government positions to collect and summarize their governance experience and compile a book to systematically pass on their governance experience.
The average age of department heads has increased year after year
In Hong Kong, management talents are currently mainly recruited from political parties, think tanks, business enterprises, universities and colleges, non-governmental organizations, as well as the civil service team and government advisory committees within the government system. However, according to the latest research by the "Youth Entrepreneurship Research Bank" of the Youth Association, according to the opinions of interviewed experts, although Hong Kong society provides a number of ways to attract talents, each has its own shortcomings in operation.
The young people who participated in the focus group interviews for this study also mentioned that one of the main reasons why they are unwilling to participate in governance work in Hong Kong is that they are worried about the development prospects of governance careers, or they are worried that they will not be able to put their talents into practice and will not have many opportunities to use their talents. The research and information obtained from relevant departments of the SAR government also revealed that in the past ten years, only a dozen administrative officers have been arranged to participate in private sector secondment programs or to be temporarily stationed in different regional or international organizations.
30% of young people surveyed are interested in participating in governance
On the other hand, the SAR government has entered its fifth term of operation, and the average age of those who hold the positions of Secretary and Director of the Accountability Team has been on the rise for several consecutive terms; and the average age of appointed unofficial members of the Executive Council has increased in recent years. There has also been an increase. Under these circumstances, the issue of connection and replacement of governance talents in Hong Kong has become even more concerning.
In addition to the issue of succession, the inheritance of governance experience also needs to be taken seriously. Since its return to the motherland, Hong Kong society has experienced many ups and downs, which have had a considerable impact on the governance work of the SAR government. The SAR government has been established for more than 20 years, and Hong Kong has accumulated a lot of practical experience and cases in its governance development. However, there is still a lack of systematic organization in this area, and it is easy for these valuable experiences to be lost, which is a pity.
The opinion survey conducted by the above-mentioned research institute found that 30% of the young people surveyed expressed interest in participating in Hong Kong's governance; from the perspective of manpower succession, this is a very encouraging figure. The government and society should cherish young people's determination to serve society and have the responsibility to respond. All parties working together to establish a more comprehensive governance talent training system will provide aspiring candidates with the opportunity to make choices or directly participate in Hong Kong's governance work at different stages of their lives.
There are many young people in Hong Kong who are enthusiastic about serving the society, and they are also a new force in future governance talents. Under one country, two systems, in the face of future demand for governance talents, it is urgent to establish the above-mentioned training ecosystem as soon as possible. We hope that all walks of life will work together to improve talent recruitment, training, practice, transfer and governance inheritance with the greatest determination and will, and jointly consolidate Hong Kong’s reserve of governance talents in terms of quality and quantity.
Youth Association Youth Innovation and Research Database
Pan Xuezhi (Convener of the Governance and Constitution Subcommittee)
Zhang Jingyun (researcher)
