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Education

On a pilot basis starting from the 2015-16 academic year, the Study Subsidy Scheme for Designated Professions/Sectors will subsidise up to 1,000 students per year to pursue designated full-time locally-accredited self-financing undergraduate programmes in selected disciplines. The effectiveness of the scheme will be reviewed after three years.

Governance of Post-secondary Institutions

All UGC-funded institutions, the Open University of Hong Kong and the HKAPA are statutory bodies governed by their own ordinances. Approved post-secondary colleges are governed by the Post Secondary Colleges Ordinance. Each post-secondary institution has its own structure of governance, normally including a governing body, called the council or board of governors, and a body to regulate academic affairs, called the senate or the academic board. As at December 2014, there were eight approved post-secondary colleges registered under the ordinance: Caritas Institute of Higher Education, Centennial College, Chu Hai College of Higher Education, Hang Seng Management College, HKCT Institute of Higher Education, Hong Kong Nang Yan College of Higher Education, Hong Kong Shue Yan University and Tung Wah College.

Vocational Education

The Vocational Training Council

The VTC is a statutory body established to provide a comprehensive system of vocational education and training for school leavers and adult learners. It provided some 250,000 full-time and part-time places during the 2013-14 academic year.

The VTC provides a range of quality-assured, internationally recognised full-time and part-time courses from post-secondary 3 up to degree level, covering a wide range of study areas including applied science, design, engineering, hospitality, child education and community services, business and information technology. Courses are offered through the VTC's 13 member institutions, such as Hong Kong Design Institute, Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education, Institute of Professional Education and Knowledge, International Culinary Institute, Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong and Youth College. The VTC also administers the apprenticeship scheme and provides trade testing and certification.

In the 2014-15 academic year, the VTC implemented the Pilot Training and Support Scheme to attract and retain talent for industries with a keen demand for labour, by integrating structured apprenticeships with clear career progression pathways. It is expected to benefit 2,000 students. Starting from the 2014-15 academic year, the VTC has recurrent funding to provide industrial attachment opportunities for about 9,000 students mainly studying higher diploma programmes and certain Diploma of Vocational Education programmes.

Yi Jin Diploma

The Yi Jin Diploma Programme provides an alternative channel for Secondary 6 school leavers and adult learners to earn a formal qualification for employment and continuing education purposes. The programme is run by seven self-financing institutions and may be taken either full-time or part-time. In the 2014-15 academic year, over 4,900 students enrolled in the programme.

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