此意見書已於2024年12月18日提交予勞工及福利局。(只有英文版)
Proposed Admission for Technical Professionals
CGCC agrees to the proposed initiative to provide new channels to attract experienced specialists in specific skilled trades. According to the Government's 2023 Manpower Projection, Hong Kong will face a manpower crunch of 180,000 workers by 2028, with acute manpower shortage in specific skilled trades. Hong Kong currently has about 400,000 skilled workers, but 40 percent of them are over 55 years old. The skilled trades industry is hard-pressed to attract younger workers as senior trades people retire. A severe shortage of skilled technical workers will affect the normal operation of the economy.
The proposed initiative will attract technical professionals who should have undertaken specialized skilled training, possess relevant work experience and can readily fulfill the local practising requirements. This is likely to supplement skills not readily available in the local labour market, and sustain the competitiveness to meet the development needs of Hong Kong. This scheme is highly appealing to non-local technical professionals as they can apply for the right of abode in Hong Kong after fulfilling the requirement of continuous residence for seven years.
To enhance the effectiveness of the Scheme, CGCC suggests that more technical professionals should be admitted. According to the 2023 Manpower Projection, Hong Kong will face a shortfall of 60,000 skilled technical workers. The Government intends to attract 10,000 skilled professionals aged below 35 in the next three years. This could only make up for one-sixth of the anticipated shortage. The Government should consider the feasibility of a quota increase to solve the problem of skilled labor shortage in the long term.
In addition, the Scheme requires the employers to pay the technical professionals at a salary level higher than the median income for the jobs at comparable skill levels in Hong Kong. Many of our members pointed out that with the median wages and other costs, the importation of technical professionals will become too costly, thus failing to help enterprises to reduce operating costs and enhance competitiveness. CGCC reckons that the Government should allow the employers to have more flexibility on the requirement of the salary level of imported technical professionals.
Hong Kong should also pursue the sustainability of technical manpower by fostering young people to become knowledge-based skilled technical personnels through a comprehensive solution integrating on-the-job training, trade skills enhancement and technology and innovation education.
CGCC believes that by enhancing the effectiveness of the proposed Scheme, the initiative may attract technical professionals in surrounding region to work in Hong Kong, helping to fill up the local job vacancies and strengthen the local talent pool in the long term.
