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Education

learners. It provided some 260,000 full-time and part-time places during the 2012-13 academic

year.

The VTC provides a range of quality, internationally recognised full-time and part-time courses from post-secondary 3 up to degree level covering a wide range of study areas ranging from applied science, design, engineering, hospitality, child education and community services, business and information technology. They are offered through its member institutions such as the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong, Institute of Professional Education and Knowledge, School for Higher and Professional Education, Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education, Hong Kong Design Institute, Hospitality Industry Training and Development Centre, Chinese Cuisine Training Institute, Maritime Services Training Institute and Youth College.

The VTC also provides services such as the administration of the apprenticeship scheme, trade testing and certification.

Post-secondary Education

Hong Kong has 17 degree-awarding higher education institutions, eight of which are funded by the public through the University Grants Committee (UGC). The other nine are the publicly- funded Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) and the self-financing Open University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Shue Yan University, Chu Hai College of Higher Education, Hang Seng Management College, Tung Wah College, Caritas Institute of Higher Education, Centennial College and Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong, Vocational Training Council. Together with providers offering locally-accredited sub-degree progammes, there are around 30 post-secondary institutions in Hong Kong.

There were around 30,300 first-year-first-degree places in the HKAPA and institutions funded by the UGC in the 2012-13 academic year and around 7,700 places in self-financing degree programmes. In addition, the UGC-funded institutions and the self-financing degree-awarding institutions provided around 2,500 senior year undergraduate places and 6,600 top-up degree places respectively for graduates of sub-degree programmes and students with other qualifications. At the sub-degree level, there were around 30,200 intake places and 9,300 intake places respectively for self-financing and public-funded sub-degree programmes for the 2012- 13 academic year.

Qualifications Framework

Launched in May 2008, the Hong Kong Qualifications Framework (QF) provides a transparent and accessible platform to promote lifelong learning and help enhance the competitiveness of the workforce. It covers academic, vocational and continuing education qualifications. The QF is underpinned by a robust quality assurance mechanism. All qualifications recognised under the QF are locally accredited by the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications or by the self-accrediting institutions in Hong Kong. The Government maintains a Qualifications Register, a web-based database that lists the qualifications and their associated learning programmes recognised under the QF.

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