{ Bright Future Charitable Foundation Scholarship }
|
|
|
Dr Chung is a local industrialist and entrepreneur with over 40 years of experience in the electronics and electrical appliances business. He is also known for his unsparing efforts in promoting Hong Kong’s industry developments.
Q: Could you please share with us the objectives of setting up Bright Future Charitable Foundation Scholarship? A: Equipping oneself to lay a strong foundation"In my younger days, I had to quit my studies for full-time employment. The experience taught me the importance of continual learning in order to prepare myself well. As Warren Buffett once said, past is a waste paper, present is a newspaper and future is a question paper. Youths can be compared to the question paper with the future lying in their hands. This Scholarship was set up to help outstanding students and lay a strong foundation for their future." Q: Why did you target design and engineering students for the Scholarship? A: Momentum for societal progress"Having pursued an industrial career for over 40 years, I am imbued with a strong sense of mission to promote local industry developments. In fact, our entire society and the course of human developments have been driven by the real economy─everything around us is intractably linked to engineering while design combines both creativity and technology to help improve our lives. Both provide the momentum for society to move forward. I hope that the industrial sector will continue to progress and benefit us with a better living environment." Q: Part of the scholarship funds is allocated for the overseas exchange and learning activities of the recipients. Why is it so?
A: Transcending geographical limitations in the quest
for opportunities "As a cosmopolitan city, Hong Kong needs young people with a broad global outlook and exposure to different nationalities, in order to learn different cultures and the art of getting along with others. They also need to be daring enough to venture out of the city in search of development opportunities, without regard for environmental and regional limitations. To me, success means “be focused on work, innovate continually, perform one’s best and embrace the future.” |
Be focused on work, innovate |
|
{ Rotary Hong Kong Vocational Scholarship } Rotary Hong Kong Vocational Scholarship was established with the generous donations of Rotary International District 3450 to assist financially needy and socially aware students, to move up the articulation pathway in VPET, from Diploma of Foundation Studies to Higher Diploma and Degree programmes. Another objective is to help industry nurture professional talents of good character and with a proactive attitude and dedication to serve society. |
|
|
Rotary International District 3450 set up the Rotary Hong Kong Vocational Scholarship in 2015 to support vocational and professional education and training (VPET). Six Rotary Club members, including Ms Belinda Yeung, Dr Patrick Poon, Mr Frankie Wu, Mr Anthony Hung, Mr Charles Wong and Mr Antonio Chu, are personally dedicated to overseeing the initiative, from fund-raising committee formation to promotion and publicity and scholarship management.
|
A VTC Scholarship infused with
Rotary spirit of social service 
|
|
Q: Why were concerted efforts made to establish the Rotary Hong Kong Vocational Scholarship? A: Rendering support to needy students and industryPast District Governor of Rotary International District 3450 Ms Belinda Yeung said: “Education is one of the Rotary International’s service missions. Having served in the hotel industry for some 30 years, I endorse the work of VTC strongly, as its excellent curriculum design has enabled its graduates to immerse in their work roles quickly, while fostering a pool of robust talents for our sector. As I have also discovered, there is no lack of young people deserving of assistance and support at VTC and this has driven the Scholarship’s establishment.” |
|
|
Q: How does this Scholarship help financially needy students?
A: Paving a path for students to move up Charter President of Rotary Club of Hong Kong Harbour Dr Patrick Poon said: “It is our hope that students aspiring to become professionals can focus on their studies, without financial worries, as they commence their Diploma of Foundation Studies and move on to the Higher Diploma and degree levels. More so, we hope they will pay back society upon graduation.” |
|
|
Q: How important is VPET to the various industries in Hong Kong? A: Providing appropriate vocational training Past President of Rotary Club of Hong Kong Harbour Mr Charles Wong said: “Every sector holds different job positions, each of which must satisfy various levels of demands which call for extensive professional expertise and skills that are worthy of study and intensive exploration by students. VTC provides professional training to cater to all levels of vocational needs.” |
|
|
Q: What are your expectations for the scholarship recipients? A: Passion to serve society and the relentless pursuit of one’s dreams Past President of Rotary Club of Tai Po Mr Frankie Wu said: “There are many scholarships that reward academically bright students. But ours puts an added emphasis on the ethical values and behaviour of students, their passion for social service and how they work towards realising their dreams. We hope to provide them with the opportunities to strive hard and move up.” |
|
|
Past President of Rotary Club of Hong Kong Harbour Mr Antonio Chu said: “Our scholarship awardees are imbued with a passion for serving society proactively. We ardently hope that they will continue to uphold the service spirit of Rotary Club, show concern for society and be able to put themselves in the position of others.” |
|
|
Q: Why does the Scholarship encourage its recipients to participate in social services? A: Cultivating leadership skills through social services renderedPast District Governor of Rotary International District 3450 Mr Anthony Hung said: “Performing social services is of utmost importance. We hope that students not only study hard but also demonstrate concern for society, learn how to help people in need and hone their organisational and leadership skills, in order to attain whole-person development.” |
|
|
{ The Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarships - Vocational Education Scholarship } The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust attaches great importance to the development of youths and encourages them to pursue their goals and dreams. By dedicating themselves to professional developments, they will be able to give back to society and benefit more people, being the beneficiaries themselves. Because of this, the Trust has established the Vocational Education Scholarship, in the mission to finance VTC Higher Diploma graduates to undertake overseas undergraduate programmes related to aviation engineering/maritime studies or design. In addition, the Trust also finances Youth College’s Diploma of Vocational Education graduates to progress to VTC Higher Diploma programmes. |
|
|
My dreams Youths are full of dreams but pursuing them is a process fraught with difficulties. Awarded The Hong Kong Jockey Club Vocational Education Scholarship, Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (IVE) graduate Sean Tse is now seeking a further education in the United Kingdom. He is enrolled at Swansea University to study Aerospace Engineering, where he can continue reaching for his goals. Sean has always loved to dismantle things, then reassemble them and study the inner parts of machines from a young age. After being admitted to Youth College, he realised his ambition was in aircraft design. “In Hong Kong, I learnt how to repair and maintain aircrafts. And in the United Kingdom, I will learn aircraft design, engage in onsite learning of how aircrafts are structured and have the opportunity to participate in an all-new university project ── applying aircraft jet-engine technology to design a car capable of moving at 1,000 miles per hour, in an attempt to set a world record in automobile speed. I look forward to it with great anticipation.” Benefitting others Looking to the future upon his graduation, Sean hopes that he can help others achieve their dreams. “I will share the future of aerospace engineering with other students, what it takes to join the profession so that they could ascertain their development paths.” |
I must also do my bit to help
|
|
{ The Alistair Harvey Foundation Scholarship } The Alistair Harvey Foundation Scholarship was established in 2004 to provide academically bright and talented VTC students with the financial support to pursue bachelor’s or even master’s degree in the UK. Covering tuition fee, accommodation and living allowances, the scholarship enables students to study abroad and realise their dreams. |
|
|
Ignited the passion for research Timothy Shuen was awarded the scholarship to study biotechnology in the UK, where the learning scope was extraordinarily vast, covering knowledge application for improving the life of mankind to the conversion of bioscience concepts into business opportunities, incorporating elements like accounting and cost computation, with the emphasis on practical application. This subject reflected real-life needs, and opened up a brand new world for him. After graduating from Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (IVE), he completed his bachelor’s and master’s programmes in the UK, and took up a doctorate programme with The University of Hong Kong. Presently engaged in cancer research work in Singapore, Timothy described his progression as a valuable journey. “Studying in IVE laid an important foundation for me. And the scholarship offered the chance for me to study abroad, ignited my passion for research and bolstered my confidence to take up my doctorate studies. Without the financial means afforded by the scholarship, it would not be possible for me to have such achievements!” |
Wind beneath Wings |
|
Bringing in new technology for industry advancement Another scholarship recipient Josh Ho chose to study civil engineering. The atmosphere of proactive, independent learning there not only broadened his horizons, but also motivated him to work harder academically. With the strength of his outstanding attainment, Josh was later admitted into a world-class university, the Imperial College London, where he studied for a master’s degree. “It has always been my aspiration to bring in new technology, mindset and concepts to industry in order to push for advancement and progress,” he said. After graduation, he returned to Hong Kong for employment. He hoped that with the considerable experience and credentials he has accumulated, he would be able to introduce new technologies to mainland China and other developing countries such as Vietnam and Cambodia. At present, the way he repays the society is to be a mentor with IVE, his alma mater, where he could share the knowledge and learning gained from his UK education, with his younger counterparts. “If I could find a way to inspire them in learning, the potential they unleash would be infinite!” He is now actively involved in voluntary work with several groups, helping to nurture the younger generations and contributing to the developments of industry. |
Contributing to alma mater by inspiring young generation  |
|
{ Muses Foundation for Culture and Education Scholarship } Muses Foundation for Culture and Education is dedicated to promoting cultural education. To achieve this mission, it supports elite design students to study at The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Denmark and École cantonale d'art de Lausanne in Switzerland, where they could experience different academic and national cultures and broaden their horizons, to become all-rounded creative talents. |
|
|
New modes of thinking Supported by a Muses Foundation for Culture and Education Scholarship, Tong Chi Wing, a Higher Diploma in Visual Communication student, recently visited the École cantonale d'art de Lausanne in Switzerland through academic exchange. At a sketching class she attended there, she was taught the abstract approach to creating compositions. “We had to tell a literary tale of tortoises through images and colour. We were free to create in any format but on the sole condition that no tortoise image should appear in our works. Such a creativity mindset subverts the rules of commercial design that traditionally emphasise clarity, concreteness and precision. This opened my mind to a fresh mode of thinking,” she said. During the creative process, Chi Wing reflected on the potential in both types of artistic expression. “While the concrete format is direct and easy to understand, the abstract approach made things more interesting and inspired much thinking and imagination to leave a deeper impression on viewers.” |
Set no limits and trust yourself |
|
{ Esprit International Exchange Scholarship } Esprit Cares Trust is dedicated to nurturing students for professional developments in international fashion arena and helping them imbibe a creative mindset. Under the Scholarship it established, elite fashion design students are sponsored to undertake academic exchanges with the teaching staff and students from the University of Borås in Sweden and Design School Kolding in Denmark, through which their design skills could be comprehensively enhanced and their horizons widened. |
|
|
Achieving breakthroughs in techniques Milton So, who pursues a Higher Diploma in Fashion Design, used to believe that fashion design was nothing more than drawing paper patterns and making clothes. It was only after he visited the University of Borås in Sweden on an exchange programme, under the Esprit International Exchange Scholarship, that he reflected deeply on his career future. “In Hong Kong, I seldom had the opportunity to learn the advanced knitting techniques, such as the various birdseye jacquard stitches and cross tubular stitch, which can be combined with different colours; fabric immersion and steaming, along with special design motifs and stitching styles, to create unique fabric. In addition to apparel, the techniques can also be applied to curtains, lampshades and even wallpapers. As it turns out, fashion design is a broad discipline and one can achieve impressive breakthroughs in techniques. I hope to study knitting techniques and become an expert in this field. This will help me become an excellent knitwear designer.” |
My goals have become larger and more concrete  |
|
Committed to nurturing industry talents Outstanding designers keep abreast of the changing times with a well-honed sensitivity to their surroundings. They can also observe and analyse from multiple viewpoints. Dr Lay Lian ONG, Principal of Hong Kong Design Institute and Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Lee Wai Lee) and Academic Director of VTC Design Discipline, said: “We endeavour to nurture agile professionals for the industry, capable of carrying out design work irrespective of geographical regions and cultural backgrounds. Thanks to the generous scholarship donations by Esprit International and Muses Foundation for Culture and Education, our students have been able to join overseas exchanges in renowned design academies in Europe for a semester, where they could experience the native cultures, understand the design thinking and factors of accomplishments of the masters.” |
Experience is the most effective form of learning  |
|
{ Outstanding Industrial Attachment Scholarships } The Outstanding Industrial Attachment Scholarships (OIAS) were established in 2007 under the auspices of industry, to encourage students to work hard during internship and award those with outstanding performance, considering the evaluations of both employers and heads of teaching departments. This is resonant with VTC’s think-and-do approach in requiring all Higher Diploma students studying at IVE and HKDI to complete their industrial attachments prior to graduation, so as to prepare themselves for entry into the career world. Last year, 250 scholarships were awarded with total gross value of over $600,000. Overall, there have been more than 1,200 scholarships bestowed since the inception. |
|
|
Create a turning point to find a direction in life Over the past years, the CYMA Charity Fund has provided generous support for OIAS, while at the same time also established the CYMA Charity Fund Scholarships with the aim of recognising those who have made significant improvement in their academic performance. Every year, 100 students are awarded and more than 600 have benefited since its establishment. As Governor of the Fund, Dr Albert Ma said: “Although the scholarship offers a relative small sum of money, such a form of encouragement makes students realise that good performances are appreciated by others and that utmost efforts are necessary for every task to achieve good results. The award may also herald a turning point for the students to find a direction in life.” Besides offering scholarship donations, Dr Ma’s company also actively contributed to the VTC Industrial Attachment Programme, providing students with internship practical training opportunities. He said: “Industrial attachments let students understand the real workplace practices, apply what they learnt into practice and overcome the problems encountered. When students discover their own inadequacies, they will spur themselves to learn harder thereby uplifting their intellectual level. These students who are equipped with practical experience as well as professional knowledge and skills constitute an important supply of competent talents for employers from various sectors of Hong Kong. Our company is one of the beneficiaries.” |
Motivating outstanding achievers for further success  |
|
Dr Lee Yuk Lun, JP, a beneficiary of vocational education, is passionate about his public service commitment. In 2017, he was the Chairman of Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, the Honorary Permanent President of Wanchai and Central & Western District Industries and Commerce Association and the Vice President of International Academy of the Belt and Road. Q: How important is vocational and professional education and training (VPET) to Hong Kong? A: Uplift professional level, facilitate industry improvements"I was very young when I entered the workforce. What I learned, back then, was limited to my mentor’s experiences explained in words. Knowledge passed down by word of mouth is inevitably flawed and lacking in theoretical basis. What we learned was not only limited but unrecognised at other workplaces. While studying at Haking Wong Technical Institute, I found myself making significant improvements. Judging by my own experience, vocational education not only teaches us professional knowledge but also emphasises the imparting of practical skills, with a focus on practical experience and results. This will not only enable students to build a firm learning foundation and apply what they learn but also facilitate industry improvements through their professional level upgrades, made possible by lifelong learning." Q: How do you relate your success with VPET? A: Knowing best industry standards and determining objectives "VPET can be considered the foundation of my career. After receiving my training at Haking Wong, I understood what the standard requirements for every task were and viewed them as the lowest benchmarks. Once I have reached them, I would set higher goals and continually demanded more of myself, which enabled me to achieve my entrepreneurial vision successfully. Until today, I still use this approach to further my career." Q: What are your expectations of the Outstanding Industrial Attachment Scholarships in relation to its benefits for students? A: A shot in the arm"The Scholarship comes as an encouragement akin to a shot in the arm, in order to let students know they have reached a certain standard and upon entering this threshold, they could continue their hard work to do much better. Therefore, I am very supportive of the Outstanding Industrial Attachment Scholarships and hope that VTC students can continually work hard as I do." |
Constant pursuit of improvements combining theory and practice  |
|
{ Disney Scholarship } Hong Kong Disneyland has been offering internship opportunities for VTC students to help them lay a firm foundation for their future careers. Through this initiative, the theme park has nurtured a pipeline of talents with extensive industry knowledge and experience. To offer recognition for outstanding students, a Disney Scholarship was established. |
|
|
Practical internship with professional training Since its opening 13 years ago, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort has brought happiness to the local community. Over this period, it has also worked closely with VTC to train talents for the industry. Every year, it provides practical training opportunities for more than 100 VTC students, exposing them to work in a real-life environment across diverse areas, including food and beverage, theme park operation, facilities service and engineering. Disney Scholarship has also been launched by the theme park to recognise outstanding VTC students and identify talents for further grooming. For students offered practical training at the theme park, the experience has not only enabled them to integrate classroom theories with an actual workplace environment but also acquire interpersonal and communication skills, which will lay a strong foundation for their future careers. In addition, they will be provided with professional training under the theme park’s unique Disney University Programme, where they will be taught the Disney tradition, methods of communication and other skills required in the workplace. Grooming a pipeline of industry talents Christine Wong, Vice President of Human Resources, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, said, “In addition to professional knowledge and skills, VTC students have demonstrated a positive work attitude and dedication to rendering quality services. This pipeline of fresh talents provided to the theme park every year is integral to our reputation for quality service.” Hong Kong Disneyland hopes to continue its collaboration with VTC to nurture more service and creative talents to facilitate the industry’s sustainable developments. |
|
|
Applying the hospitality concept to management Disney’s unique hospitality service, enjoyed by many customers around the world, left an indelible impression on intern Wong Wing Hong, a Higher Diploma in International Hospitality and Tourism Management student. “I remember the few occasions when it was hot and stuffy outdoors with no guests queuing at the shuttle bus stand. To my surprise, my supervisor came over to chat with me to show concern for my work and offered me encouragement. I found his words heartwarming and uplifting. I identify with this management style as it keeps employees satisfied and when they are happy, they work harder.” He was confident that the insight will equip him well for a hospitality career ahead. |
When employees are happy, they work harder .jpg) |
|
{ Mr K S Cheng Memorial Scholarship } Mr K S Cheng Memorial Scholarship aims to provide financial support for Higher Diploma students from Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (IVE) to pursue their dreams, develop their self-confidence and foster a sense of responsibility through self-reflection and practices, based on the learning objectives they formulate themselves, to pave the path to future success. |
|
|
My music dream Patrick Tse, a Higher Diploma in Architectural Studies student, is passionate about architectural design and he also dreams of touching people’s hearts and giving them strength through music. With support from the Mr K S Cheng Memorial Scholarship, Patrick has been able to afford the music programming and editing software, audio recording equipment and a new guitar he needed and joined a course to improve his music arrangement skills. “The equipment has enriched the music I created and bolstered my confidence to express myself through my compositions. I have also formed a Music Society on campus to share my music with more people,” he said. Patrick has also written a song “Theatre of Dreams” to express the feelings he experienced in pursuing his dreams. |
Making my dreams come true |
|
Outward bound training honed my leadership skills Don Tsang, a Higher Diploma in Leisure Management student, is physically active and dreams of being involved in the planning of mega events. To equip himself for the future, he used some HK$7,000 from the Scholarship he received to join an outward bound camp which lasted 8 days and 7 nights. “At the training camp, we had to take different challenges, such as jumping into the sea from heights, sailing a large boat and meditating alone on a solitary island. We also took turns to become a team leader, leading our team members to complete a mission. The training was gruelling but it honed my leadership skills and independent spirit. If I encounter any problems now, I would think of ways to overcome them on my own.” |
Overcoming problems on my own |
Giving to VTC
© 2023 Vocational Training Council. All rights reserved.
Best viewed with Internet Explorer 7 or above and with 1024 x 768 resolution.