Hong Kong financial body to launch internship programme, gold trading course draws over 200
The Financial Services Development Council (FSDC) will launch a two-year youth internship programme offering 1,000 positions, while its gold trading course has attracted over 200 participants. The FSDC stressed quality over quantity and the need to counter misunderstandings about Hong Kong globally.
The Hong Kong Financial Services Development Council (FSDC) will launch a two-year “Youth Internship Programme for the Financial Services Industry”, working with the sector to provide 1,000 internship positions for young people in financial services, the body announced on 6 November.
Deputy Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Howard Chan Ho-yin told a Legislative Council financial affairs committee meeting that the FSDC’s previous “Financial Services Job Creation Scheme” and its graduate version had covered banking, brokerage, insurance, Mandatory Provident Fund scheme trustees and accounting, and that the new programme would continue to uphold those principles.
In response to lawmakers’ questions about the tangible results of the FSDC’s various activities, FSDC Chairman Walter Hung said the council emphasises “quality” over “quantity”. He noted that global asset allocation decisions are mainly made in European and US markets, and that the level of misunderstanding about Hong Kong there is “not low”, making it necessary to provide explanations. Hung stressed that Hong Kong needs to make “new friends” while maintaining relations with existing partners, and that emerging trade corridors such as Central Asia and North Africa have growth momentum, requiring time and resources to develop.
Hung said that while many financial sub-sectors have their own demands, resources are limited, and priority should be given to promoting global asset reallocation, renminbi internationalisation, digital currency and gold, in order to maximise economic benefits.
Chief Executive Officer Clement Tung said the gold trading course launched by the FSDC had attracted over 200 participants, including chief executives and supply chain members who had previously had less contact with the sector. He expressed confidence that the course would help these institutions understand Hong Kong’s development direction and encourage their participation in market operations. Tung added that the FSDC had discussed gold insurance and security issues with relevant experts, and was currently drafting a report, with the aim of coordinating with relevant government departments in future.