Hong Kong’s first digital VPET International Conference explores new directions in VPET and skills development
• Is mastering digital skills enough for workplace?
• How is technology transforming skills development and applied education in the digital era?
The Vocational Training Council (VTC) and the Education Bureau will jointly organise the first digital VPET International Conference in Hong Kong on 15 May 2020 (Friday) as Vocational and Professional Education and Training (VPET) leaders, scholars and industry heavyweights from different countries will come together to explore strategies on VPET and skills development in the new age. The International STEM Students’ Forum 2020 will then be held on 16 May (Saturday) online where representatives across sectors will shed light on the STEM trends. STEM student teams of VTC and overseas institutions will also present their collaborative applied research projects at the Forum. Free access to the live webcast of the two events will be available for interested parties. Simply click into the site to grasp the global trends of skills education and STEM development.
First held in 2017, the VPET International Conference will take an entirely new online format this year. Secretary for Education, Kevin YEUNG Yun-hung, will address the audience at the opening. A strong line-up of 25 speakers from Europe, America, Asia and Hong Kong will exchange views with audience online on different education and skills development topics.
In this fast-changing global economy, the demand for talents conversant with applied skills is keen. VPET plays a pivotal role in strengthening the human capital. With the theme “Skilling for the Future”, keynote speakers Director General of the Finnish National Agency for Education, Olli-Pekka HEINONEN, and Vice-Chancellor of UK Sheffield Hallam University, Professor Sir Chris HUSBANDS, will share their expert views on the future of VPET in a changing world. The plenary session titled “Applied Education & Future Skills in the Digital Era” will discuss the latest trends on applied education. Distinguished speakers from Switzerland, Australia and Singapore will share insights on applied education and how it is developed on par with academic education, equipping young people with the requisite skills for the future.
A number of thematic sessions will then be held, including “Why Workplace Training Counts” where Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services PANG Yiu-hung and representatives of different enterprises will share their experience of implementing workplace training and apprenticeship schemes to highlight the key role of employers in grooming skilled talent for their industries. In another session “Skills Change Lives – Fostering Talents at Young Age”, speakers will exchange views on the benefits of education models such as project-based learning and IBM’s P-TECH (Pathways in Technology Early College High Schools) in helping young people unleash their potential and acquire essential skills for success in the 21st century. With the surging demand for talents in artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics and cybersecurity as technology advances, attendees will discuss how enterprises can upskill their employees and youngsters to prepare themselves with adequate digital skills to tap market opportunities. The session “Are Digital Skills Enough for the Workplace?” will see representatives from Siemens, J.P. Morgan and local technology entrepreneurs to shed light on this topic.
The International STEM Students’ Forum 2020 will also be held online on the following day. The Forum will gather industry leaders and STEM students and graduates from different countries and regions to discuss a number of topics such as the trends for STEM careers, the demand for STEM skills in the workplace, and the challenges and opportunities for STEM start-ups. What’s more, a line-up of STEM student teams formed by VTC STEM students and their peers from the UK, Japan, Singapore, Australia and Thailand will present their collaborative applied research outcomes at the online Forum. A student team formed by the National Institute of Technology, Kumamoto College, Japan and the Engineering Discipline of the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (IVE) will showcase their co-developed AI “self-parking system”. Another team consisting of students from the Manchester Metropolitan University, UK and the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong (THEi) will introduce their research on developing new probiotic food products referencing various uses of probiotics in British and Hong Kong diets.
The two-day Conference and Forum will be live-streamed for free. Members of the education sector, business management and practitioners, parents, students and all who are interested in VPET are most welcome to join the events online.
For details and registration of the VPET International Conference 2020, please visit: https://vpet2020.hk/conference. [*Please enter the invitation code (VPET2020HK) for free admission.]
For details and registration of the International STEM Students’ Forum 2020, please visit: https://issf2020.hk .
Established in 1982, the Vocational Training Council (VTC) is the largest vocational and professional education and training provider in Hong Kong. The mission of VTC is to provide a valued choice to school leavers and working people to acquire the values, knowledge and skills for lifelong learning and enhanced employability, and also to provide support to industries for their manpower development. VTC has 13 member institutions, namely the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong (THEi) , the Institute of Professional Education And Knowledge (PEAK) , the School for Higher and Professional Education (SHAPE), the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (IVE) , the Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI) , the Hotel and Tourism Institute (HTI) , the Chinese Culinary Institute (CCI) , the International Culinary Institute (ICI) , the Maritime Services Training Institute (MSTI) , Youth College , Pro-Act by VTC , the Integrated Vocational Development Centre (IVDC) and the Shine Skills Centre.
Website: www.vtc.edu.hk
Media Enquiries: 2836 1790 / 2836 1046
