Talent development is high on the agenda for companies looking to thrive. This is crucial when the business of an organisation revolves around consultancy service.
The Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC), a key industrial support statutory organisation, is running a trainee consultant programme to support its talent development in advanced manufacturing technology, environmental technology, information technology and management systems.
'We need to groom our own talent so we will be able to fuel our long-term growth and help the industry continue to excel in their operations,' says Bobo Fung, senior consultant for human resources and administration. The trainee consultant programme, which has been running for two years, caters for exceptional university graduates.
According to Carmen Lee, the organisation's consultant for human resources and administration, HKPC will organise talks for potential candidates at University of Hong Kong, Chinese University, Polytechnic University, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and City University. 'Our branch directors will speak to the students about the programme and participate in the recruitment and selection processes,' Lee says. The organisation has three major branches, 28 centres of excellence and 10 testing laboratories.
Applications open next month and the selection criteria are stringent. Last year, the HKPC received 1,000 applications from the universities.
Students with a bachelor's degree in any discipline can apply, but Lee says that applicants with business, technology, environment, manufacturing, industrial engineering, and electrical and electronic engineering backgrounds will have an advantage.
Strict entry qualifications ensure that only the very best candidates qualify for the programme. Lee says 80 to 100 out of 1,000 applicants last year were selected in the first phase of screening for an interview with a panel, which tested their presentation skills in response to written reports and selected articles from newspapers. They were also required to debate a selected topic in a group setting.