Vocational courses prepare students for take-off in Hong Kong’s aviation industry
Vocational Training Council offers two-year, part-time paid foundation studies while HKU Space Community College has a two-year, full-time higher diploma in industry basics
The Vocational Training Council (VTC) is partnering the Hong Kong International Aviation Academy of the Airport Authority Hong Kong and private companies to launch a part-time diploma programme that is free of charge, offers paid on-the-job training, and provides a government allowance for all participants.
The two-year, part-time course, Diploma of Foundation Studies (Aviation) (DFS-Aviation), is open to applications from all Secondary 6 graduates. Students who apply for the programme through the VTC will be interviewed by prospective industry employers. Accepted candidates will get an apprenticeship in which they receive on-the-job training while they study at the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (IVE) for one to one and a half days a week.
The curriculum covers introductions to aviation, air cargo handling and technology; airport and airline management structure, and ground service equipment handling and technology.
Tuition fees will be fully funded by the employers, who are also obliged to pay the students HK$30,800 over the course’s two years, while the government will also provide a living allowance of HK$42,000. As the students will receive a guaranteed monthly salary of no less than HK$8,000 throughout the course, each will have a monthly income of more than HK$10,000 during the two years.
“It is a very attractive proposition for young people: they receive technical training, enjoy a stable income, and have a foothold into the aviation industry,” says Iu King-fung, assistant executive director, Headquarters (Industry Partnership) at the VTC. “In fact, the VTC Earn & Learn scheme [was] launched several years ago to integrate classroom learning with paid, on-the-job training. Other industries under the scheme include electrical and mechanical engineering and construction, medical centre operations, and food technology and safety. Many graduates stay in the industry, and some [stick] with the firms where they [did] their apprenticeships.”
