'Working In Greater Bay Has Only Pros, No Cons'

A number of young people interested in working across the border told the media on Tuesday that they’re thrilled about the opportunities available elsewhere in the Greater Bay Area, and there are “only pros, no cons” with working on the mainland.

The comments were made by people attending a two-day job expo in Mong Kok.

Under the government’s Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme, more than 30 organisations will provide job opportunities for up to 2,000 Hong Kong residents who graduated from university between 2019 and this year.

The SAR government will give the companies a monthly allowance of HK$10,000 for every graduate hired, and the youngsters should be paid no less than HK$18,000 a month.

A student from the University of Science and Technology told RTHK that he’s eager to explore job opportunities in the bay area, saying it is extremely vibrant there. He added that with increasing integration between Hong Kong and the mainland, developing a career across the border can only be a positive thing.

Another HKUST student also said he hopes to take advantage of the opportunities across the border, saying while he believes he can get used to the lifestyle there, he’ll avoid discussing politics with his mainland colleagues.

A Hong Kong student currently studying intellectual property issues on the mainland, meanwhile, said he wants to work on the mainland because SAR companies tend to have higher expectations and prefer staff with prior work experience.

Representatives of the participating companies said there had been a great deal of interest in the scheme so far.

The head of China Times, Zeng Xiaohui, for example, said he had received more than 200 applications, mainly from Hong Kong residents currently studying on the mainland.