Youth IDEAS: Internship; COVID-19; Stay or Go

Enriching Internship

There was a 30% drop in the availability of internship opportunities in 2020 and the pandemic continues to affect students’ plans. This report explores ways of enriching the experience of student interns when many career plans are on hold.

Internship is important for any university student who wants to gain work experience and job skills before joining the workforce. However, against the background of COVID-19 there has been a sharp fall in work placements and the implementation of government work-from home restrictions has led to the rise of virtual internships.

Key points from respondents

● 60.7% students thought internships could be 10%-30% virtual. ● 48% had done no internship. ● 20.7% of these had their internships cancelled or postponed. ● 27.3% failed to find an internship. ● 19% wanted internships to be 100% face-to-face.

Among the students whose internships went ahead, 54.3% had only virtual internships.  74.2% of these thought it could increase flexibility.  65.3% thought the virtual mode could save money and time.  48.4% said it allowed them keep abreast of digital trends. A group of young people who did virtual internships were interviewed separately. They said the difficulties they faced during virtual internships included little chance to experience a real work environment and culture, ineffective communication and lack of access to resources for learning job skills. An expert in careers from the higher education sector who was interviewed pointed out that internships could adopt a hybrid mode and that it was important to learn and work both virtually and face-to-face, in line with current trends and the demands of industry. Comments from Youth I.D.E.A.S. think tank members

Dan Cheung, group convenor “I suggest that schools and NGOs provide other practical learning opportunities apart from internships that involve technology and problem-solving. This could allow students to apply what they have learned in real-life settings. Second, students need training in virtual internship and other skills in order to adapt to the changing working environment. Third, NGOs could develop virtual internship platforms which provide information and matching services.” Bosco Leung, group member “Businesses and organizations can set up an internship protocol and offer information kits for interns to learn about the nature and background of jobs. Companies could also launch a virtual intern buddy support scheme to introduce company culture to students and allow them to get in touch with colleagues. They can also hold online sessions where interns share their knowledge and strengths with others. Two-way communication during virtual internship is indispensable.” Derek Lee, group member “The government could extend the current overseas internship subsidy scheme to include overseas virtual internships. This would create more opportunities for students to widen their horizons and equip themselves with the various skills needed to face future challenges.”

Report No.55 HKFYG Youth I.D.E.A.S. Education group Published title Enriching Students' Internship Experiences in the Next Normal Respondents 877 university students who intended to be interns in 2020 were surveyed. 21 students and 5 experts were also interviewed. More details [in Chinese] yrc.hkfyg.org.hk/2020/11/30/yi055/ Enquiries Vivian Yeung 3755 7038

Lessons for Public Health from COVID-19

This study looks at views on the government’s handling of the pandemic and ways to encourage people to keep fighting COVID-19 by improving public health literacy.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a huge threat to public health everywhere. Although Hong Kong residents are very aware of the importance of maintaining personal hygiene, many have pandemic fatigue and hope that vaccination will end the fight against the virus.

Young people complained of low morale as a result of staying at home so long. A psychiatrist commented that the length and nature of the pandemic, compounded by strict control measures, had resulted in a build-up of stress and lack of motivation to fight the virus although 20.2% of respondents had initiated some form of community-led activity to fight COVID-19.

Key points from respondents

Survey respondents were generally dissatisfied with government measures in response to the pandemic, rating them at 4.82 on a 0-10 scale.

● 73.8% were unwilling to use the government’s

“LeaveHomeSafe” contact tracing app. ● 73.4% had experienced pandemic fatigue. ● 67.7% wanted to take part in the government vaccination programme. ● 48.1% said their willingness to be vaccinated was most affected by vaccine safety profiles.* ● 43.7% thought that government measures were too lax.  79.2% thought that border controls were the most inefficient measure.  53.8% thought quarantine measures were the most efficient. ● When asked about inconvenience:  56.5% agreed that restrictions on restaurants, businesses and other premises were the most inconvenient.  40.2% thought prohibition of group gatherings in public places was the most troublesome. Ronald Chan, group convenor “Research shows that public concerns about vaccine safety profiles will have a huge impact on vaccination rates and efficiency. The authorities should enhance public education about the vaccinations in collaboration with district councils and NGOs.”

Alvin Kan, group member “The government should establish a detailed track and trace system with public alerts, an action plan, risk assessments and guidelines on infection control measures. These have been used effectively elsewhere and can help enterprises organize their operations with more certainty.” Annette Ng, group member “An integrated electronic system combining the government’s “eHealth” and “iAM Smart”** platforms with COVID-19 testing and vaccination records would give better control and could provide a solid foundation for future primary care expansion.” Jewel Ho and Wisely Ngai, group members “Concerns about privacy have led to widespread reluctance to use the mobile app, “LeaveHomeSafe.” The developer and government department responsible should get an independent privacy assessment and an information security audit. Human resources devoted to quarantine monitoring should be unified and the “StayHomeSafe” mobile app for those undergoing home quarantine should be improved.”

Report No.56 HKFYG Youth I.D.E.A.S. Livelihood group Published title Public Health Lessons Learnt from the COVID-19 Participants/respondents 806 Hong Kong residents aged 18-65. 20 young interviewees, two managers of volunteer services, a psychiatrist, a health education professional and a pathologist were interviewed. More details [in Chinese] yrc.hkfyg.org.hk/2021/01/11/yi056/ Enquiries Adam Choi 3755 7042

* Also see

scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3116265/ about-40-cent-hong-kongs-young-people-averse scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3119968/ hong-kong-residents-remain-wary-covid-19-vaccines

** Government platforms: eHealth

ehealth.gov.hk/en/index.html iamsmart.gov.hk/en/faq.html

To Stay or To Leave?

The freedom to emigrate and immigrate have always been treasured in Hong Kong. In the context of recent social and political unrest, over 28% of young people have plans to leave.

Many social and personal factors contribute to the propensity to stay or leave one’s home town. Whatever tips the balance, confidence in the likelihood of a stable or more prosperous future is important and good governance plays a significant role.

Key points from respondents

● 91.8% agree that they have a sense of belonging to Hong Kong. ● 83.8% say they want to make a contribution to the city. ● 56.0% have hopes for Hong Kong's future. ● 43.6% are without hope for the city’s future.

Emigration decisions

For:

● 28.6% of the total respondents have a plan to emigrate. The three most common factors for leaving that are socially rather than personally determined are:  The enactment of the National Security Law in Hong Kong (50.7%).  The disappointing performance of the SAR Government (49.3%).  The serious rifts in society (31.3%).

Against:

● 65.5% of the total respondents have no plans to emigrate. The three most common factors for staying that are socially rather than personally determined are:  Life in the city is convenient (45.1%).  Good public security (29.4%).  Development opportunities are still available (17.7%).

Report No.57 HKFYG Youth I.D.E.A.S. Governance group Published title To Stay or To Leave? A critical question for good governance Survey respondents 525 young people aged 18-34 Parallel interviews with 17 youth and five experts or academics

More details [in Chinese] yrc.hkfyg.org. hk/2021/02/01/yi057/ Enquiries Sharon Cheung 3755 7039 Key points from individual youth interviews

17 youth were asked individually about their plans. Eight chose to emigrate overseas. Nine chose to stay. Reasons for considering emigration:  There is little space for diversified development in HK.  The quality of life in the city is deteriorating.  They have lost the hope in the chance of their views being heard by the SAR government. Hopes for Hong Kong’s future:  Aspirations to take part in voluntary work at district level where professional knowledge or talent might be useful for improving

Hong Kong.  Enduring hopes for more direct, fruitful dialogue on policy with the government. Comments from Youth I.D.E.A.S. think tank members

Vivian Leung, group member “The underlying problems are very complex and there can be no quick fix or shortcut solution to big issues like governance or rebuilding hope. However, perhaps a government campaign collecting views from youth about their dreams for Hong Kong in ten years’ time might help to provide a sense of potential empowerment and suggest that they might have a role to play in building a future society together.” Tony Tsui, group member “We recommend the setting up of a high-level centralized government mechanism for handling public opinion. This might allow principal officials to understand public sentiment better at a time when social issues have become complicated. In the long run this could reduce the risk of public grievances accumulating.” Ada Li, group member “The government should grasp every opportunity to communicate with young people. Only by reaching out and communicating effectively can they hope to pave the way towards rebuilding mutual trust. Talking and listening on both sides are fundamental if we are to make even a single step forward.”