Here’s a polished English translation of the Chinese title: **Hong Kong Vocational Training Council Invited to Attend the Launch Ceremony of Guangdong Vocational Education Activity Week**

Deepening Vocational Education Cooperation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to Foster Talent Development

ZhuhaiMay 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On May 10, the 2026 Guangdong Province Vocational Education Activity Week kicked off at the Zhuhai Jinwan Art Center. Organized by the Guangdong Provincial Department of Education, hosted by the Zhuhai Municipal Education Bureau, and co-organized by Zhuhai City Polytechnic, the event, themed “Master a Skill, Worry-Free for Life,” showcased the phased achievements of vocational education in serving economic and social development, deepening industry-education integration, and advancing collaborative talent cultivation through launch ceremonies,成果 displays, and thematic exchanges. The Vocational Training Council (VTC) of Hong Kong participated as a special invitee in the launch ceremony and the Guangdong Vocational Education Reform and Development Achievements Exhibition, presenting Hong Kong’s vocational and professional education advancements and collaborative practices with the mainland. Ms. Chan Ho-yan, Deputy Executive Director of VTC, attended and delivered a speech on behalf of VTC.

Peng Binbai, Director of the Department of Vocational Education and Adult Education under the Ministry of Education, and Lin Rupeng, Secretary of the Education Working Committee of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee and Director of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Education, attended and addressed the ceremony. Representatives from the Ministry of Education’s Vocational Education Development Center, the Provincial Party Committee’s Publicity Department, the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, the Provincial Department of Human Resources and Social Security, the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Provincial Federation of Trade Unions, and the Provincial Committee of the Communist Youth League, along with representatives from municipal education administrative departments, vocational colleges, experts, scholars, and enterprises, participated in the event. Vocational education representatives from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macao Special Administrative Region were also invited to attend, jointly discussing vocational education exchanges and collaboration in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

In her speech, Ms. Chan Ho-yan, Deputy Executive Director of VTC, noted that VTC is the largest vocational and professional education institution in Hong Kong, currently serving over 200,000 students and working professionals annually, covering multiple levels including higher diplomas, bachelor’s degrees, postgraduate programs, and on-the-job training. Over the years, VTC has established stable cooperative relationships with the mainland, particularly with the Guangdong Provincial Department of Education and numerous vocational colleges, continuously advancing collaborations in student exchanges, curriculum alignment, resource sharing, and teacher training.

Focusing on the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the national direction of vocational education development, Ms. Chan outlined three key areas of cooperation in her speech. First, continuously promote two-way exchanges between mainland and Hong Kong youth. With support from the Hong Kong SAR Government’s Education Bureau, over the past three years, VTC has organized more than 120 study tours through the “Bay Area Exploration Trip,” sending over 4,000 students to key cities in the Greater Bay Area, vocational colleges, and frontline industries to deepen their understanding of national development and industrial needs. Additionally, VTC and Shenzhen Polytechnic University jointly established the “Greater Bay Area Student Exchange Alliance,” creating an institutionalized platform for regular teacher-student exchanges and collaboration among institutions.

In supporting youth development, the Hong Kong SAR Government launched the “Vocational Professionals Admission Scheme” (VPAS) in 2023, offering mainland students enrolled in designated VTC higher diploma programs opportunities for internships and employment in Hong Kong after graduation. VTC will continue to support the scheme’s implementation, providing assistance for mainland youth pursuing further studies, internships, and career development in Hong Kong.

Second, VTC will further deepen mutual learning between Guangdong and Hong Kong’s vocational education sectors to jointly enhance educational quality and talent cultivation standards. Ms. Chan noted that Hong Kong has accumulated experience in curriculum quality assurance and internationalization, while actively learning from the mainland to align with the country’s continuously improving industrial technology levels and skill standards. In recent years, the mainland has seen rapid development in emerging fields such as drones, artificial intelligence, and new energy, achieving significant results in technology application and skill system construction. VTC has identified these areas as key cooperation directions, aiming to upgrade teaching content and skill standards through curriculum alignment and joint training.

Additionally, leveraging Hong Kong’s advantages in international networks, institutional connectivity, professional services, and an English-language teaching environment, VTC is willing to serve as a platform and bridge to support the “going global” of mainland vocational education and deepen collaboration with mainland institutions to enhance the international influence of China’s vocational education.

VTC also participated in the Guangdong Vocational Education Reform and Development Achievements Exhibition, highlighting its overall operations, curriculum system, and development and cooperation outcomes in the mainland. The exhibition area showcased the “Vocational Professionals Admission Scheme” (VPAS), diverse pathways for mainland students after completing VTC higher diploma programs—including career development in Hong Kong, mainland opportunities, and overseas studies—as well as VTC student achievements, comprehensively presenting VTC’s practical results in vocational and professional education, youth development, and Guangdong-Hong Kong cooperation.

VTC expressed its hope to leverage this event as an opportunity to further deepen exchanges and cooperation with vocational colleges in Guangdong and the mainland, jointly promoting the coordinated development of vocational education in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and contributing to regional industrial upgrading and the cultivation of high-quality technical and skilled talent.