Hong Kong to boost construction training, tech use to tackle labour shortages
Hong Kong's Development Bureau says it will enhance local training and promote technology adoption in the construction industry to address short-term labour shortages, with over 4,500 people taking courses in the past three years and 500 million yuan in innovation fund grants approved.
The Development Bureau of the Hong Kong government will continue to strengthen local training and promote the use of technology in the construction industry to boost productivity, bureau director Lin Hao-han said in a blog post on 8 November.
Lin noted that the construction sector's unique nature means different projects carry out different processes at different times. When multiple projects undertake the same process simultaneously, shortages of specific skilled trades may occur. The government's Construction Industry Import Labour Scheme serves as a supplementary measure to address short-term manpower gaps in particular trades.
In the longer term, Lin said the bureau will continue to improve local training and encourage the industry to adopt technology to enhance overall productivity. The Development Bureau and the Construction Industry Council regularly review industry technological developments and engineering models to refine training strategies.
Over the past three years, more than 4,500 people have enrolled in courses offered by the Construction Industry Council, according to the blog. The government established the Construction Innovation and Technology Fund in 2018, entrusting the council to subsidise companies or institutions providing project-management-based construction technology training. As of September, more than 1,000 applications had been approved, with subsidies totalling 50 million yuan, benefiting over 400 companies and institutions.
The Construction Industry Council also offers continuing education and skills upgrading programmes for workers at different career stages, including various technology training courses to help them master artificial intelligence and other smart construction technologies. For example, a part-time course on construction robots teaches painters how to operate paint robots, including setting parameters, controlling the machine, adjusting paint thickness, and performing routine maintenance and simple troubleshooting.