Taking off

Helping Hong Kong take off again

Mr Fred Lam, CEO of the Airport Authority, speaks about making the transition from school to workforce. He says that a taste of frontline work with visitors gives young people good practice and that their educational achievements can be less important than having the right attitude.

Life planning

YHK The transition from school to work is often complex. Who do you think can best provide guidance or mentorship for life planning at this stage?

Mr Lam It is often quite a big leap for a graduate to leave the campus and enter the workplace as a freshman. Each person comes from a different background and has a unique character so the transition will not be the same for everyone.

To manage this transition well, I think it is most important to instill the right attitude in young graduates. I would never doubt the skills of the younger generation. They are smart and well-versed in a diverse range of skills. If young people can maintain a passion for life and work, they will surely thrive in the workplace.

However, during boom times, young people might have a more relaxed attitude towards their jobs. As recession looms, probably their mindset will change and this could certainly help them adapt to a new environment in working life.

Diversified vocational training

YHK What emphasis would you like to see in vocational training on frontline skills learnt on the job compared to academic performance at school?

Mr Lam There are now many different programmes organized by schools, the government and NGOs providing support to young people for getting to know about the workplace and careers. Such support is very useful. We at the airport also organize programmes towards that end. Through work-related summer programmes, students can explore different kinds of jobs, understand more about themselves and their own strengths and interests. It is very helpful for young people to learn how to work with different people through these programmes, how to respect others and take their work seriously. To be successful in the workplace, interpersonal skills and the right attitude are often more important than academic qualifications.

Encouragement

YHK The Airport Ambassadors programme has been very encouraging to participants. Can you tell us the Airport Authority’s main reasons for this valuable long term support of HKFYG?

Mr Lam The Airport Ambassadors programme is one of my favourite community outreach programmes. The airport serves as a portal for Hong Kong. Visitors often get their first impressions of Hong Kong when they land at the airport. As airport ambassadors young people can meet visitors from all over the world and through this they may come to understand the importance of the airport to the economy in terms of trade, tourism and finance. They may also find out more about the different career opportunities at the airport.

Hospitality

YHK How important do you think it is to provide opportunities for young people to understand Hong Kong in depth in order to welcome its visitors?

Mr Lam In-depth travel is the trend now. Many visitors are interested in exploring a destination in a down-toearth way, not just going to the tourist spots. They would be interested in hearing from our young people how they feel about their daily lives in the city and the things around them. It is easy to take such things for granted

when they are already part of daily life. Things like our efficient transportation services, the MTR, buses and ferries, but also our good food and so on. All these are very familiar to us and could also be of interest to visitors.

While visitors may read about the city’s history or receive information on Hong Kong, they do not always have opportunities to talk to the locals. People are always more interesting than information. I sincerely hope that our airport ambassadors love Hong Kong from the bottom of their hearts so that the Hong Kong they introduce to our visitors would be a nice and interesting place.

Current collaborations

YHK The Working Holiday @ Lantau project can assist participants with both career and personal development. In which ways would you like to see this programme develop in future?

Mr Lam The general idea of a working holiday is about leaving one’s comfort zone at home, gaining new experience and receiving training. The Working Holiday @ Lantau programme has been going well. It meets our expectations and we hope to expand it in the future. At the moment it remains relatively small in scale as we started it only a few years ago. We are exploring different ways to develop it further.

Overcoming challenges

YHK What are the main hurdles you envisage for young people trying to find employment in the post-pandemic era?

Mr Lam We see challenges in the coming year, especially for the economy, not only here but globally. Hong Kong has faced various crises in the past. For instance, when I graduated in 1982, the economy was not in a very good shape because of the uncertainties of Hong Kong’s future before the 1997 handover. Despite the different challenges in the past, each time we bounced back and emerged stronger.

I hope that young people will not feel dejected during this difficult time. Employers will not only look at their educational background and academic achievements or at how many languages they speak, but also at whether they are passionate about their work because people with passion are often the most eager to learn.

Difficult times present unique opportunities to enhance one’s resilience. For example, one can do more sports. Work out more. Toughen oneself up. Then one can stand upright against strong head winds and never give up!

Rising above the horizon

YHK Which pathways for partnerships between the travel industry and youth services would you most like to explore in the years to come?

Mr Lam I believe the aviation and travel industries will recover after the pandemic but its impact is significant. Air passenger traffic may take some time to fully recover but we remain confident in the long-term development of the airport.

In the past decade or so, the aviation industry has grown in leaps and bounds. Air tickets are now much more affordable and it is very convenient to get tickets online. Hong Kong people are the world’s most prolific travellers, taking flights on average three times a year compared to the global average of less than once a year. The long-term trend is for more people to travel by air. In particular, we expect Hong Kong people to travel even more frequently in the future.

Hong Kong is one of the world’s leading aviation hubs, connecting some 220 destinations worldwide. Tens of millions of visitors come to Hong Kong each year for business, holidays and other purposes. We are also the biggest air cargo hub in the world, facilitating international trade.

I believe travel does not only provide leisure and create business opportunities, but also helps make it a borderless world while promoting peace. When there is more interaction between people from different cultures, mutual understanding can be enhanced. Peace will in turn le

We never stop developing the airport in Hong Kong. Many development projects are progressing full steam ahead, such as the Three-runway System. We are also introducing more smart facilities and services at the airport, which will be very welcome to young travellers.

Future work

I have had many collaborations with HKFYG. I support youth work, which takes on yet more importance when young people need greater support in this fast-changing world. I hope that HKFYG will continue to do its best and make further progress in helping young people face future challenges.