Visitors and online viewers participated in the Future Skills Community Event organised by the Vocational Training Council (VTC), which concluded successfully today (11 December). During the three-day event, a wide range of activities, including exhibitions of student work, industry seminars and thematic talks, enabled participants to better understand the value of Vocational and Professional Education and Training (VPET). This will further enhance public recognition of VPET, thereby helping to nurture more quality talent for the future of Hong Kong.
Members of the public who missed the event are welcome to visit the online exhibition platform, which will continue to be available at www.vtcfutureskills360.hk. The virtual exhibition showcases the VTC’s achievements in VPET along with collaborative projects by students and graduates from its different disciplines, as well as from industry.
Over 100 works by VTC graduates and students were showcased during the three-day physical event, many of which have won international and local awards or are applied collaborative projects with industry. A notable example is the “Yuen Sek” tableware series which won the “Red Dot: Best of the Best Award 2021”. Designed by Alvin LIU Shing-kai, graduate of the Higher Diploma in Product Design programme at Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI), “Yuen Sek” is inspired by the everyday Chinese dining experience, taking into consideration form, function, and ergonomics. Each tableware set includes a rice bowl, chopsticks, a spoon and a sauce plate to cater for every detail of a complete dining experience. Displayed in a special area at the event, the design will soon be available on the e-commerce platform HKVTC Shop.
VTC teachers and students regularly join hands with industry partners to help solve social problems through their professional knowledge and creative thinking. Most of the exhibits shown are of long-term value to society. The “Extended Reality (XR) Cognitive Rehabilitation System” by using XR and Immersive technologies is an example., This rehabilitation system was co-developed by teachers and students of the Health and Life Sciences Discipline of Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (IVE) with a local innovation and technology company which trains the cognitive functions of elderly people such as memory, executive function and concentration, helping improve their cognitive ability or delay its deterioration by providing interesting cognitive training games derived from local culture, for example matching bathroom items, finding the right mahjong, recognizing things in the street and categorizing food in kitchen. The project has been adopted in an elderly centre and been positively received by the users.
As part of the Future Skills Community Event, more than ten thematic talks and seminars were held at the Event Plaza, bringing together a powerful line-up of industry leaders, scholars and experts. Topics included “IndustryConnect – Meeting with CEOs”, “The Development of Smart Manufacturing and Industry-Institute-Research Collaboration in the Greater Bay Area”, “Biz Tech – Future Skills”, “The Revival of the Hospitality Industry – New Skills, New Opportunities, New Normal”, and “IT Enablement for the Metaverse & User Experience Enrichment”. Past and present WorldSkills competitors, including some recently returned from the WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition, shared their experiences and explained how learning new skills had changed their lives. Opportunity was also taken to stage a prize presentation ceremony for the first Hong Kong Junior Skills Competition held earlier this year. This rich variety of programmes helped participants gain a much more comprehensive understanding of the various aspects of VPET.
To showcase the design talents of VTC students in different fields, two fashion shows were held during the three-day event. The “Fashion Show – Elite Extravaganza” on Friday 9 December presented 50 award-winning and outstanding designs by over 20 budding HKDI designers, bringing a whole new visual experience to the audience through choreographed performances by fashion models and dancers. Another fashion show held yesterday (10 December) was titled “Retrospect and Prospects of THEi’s Fashion Design: Looking back at Ten Years of Emerging Green Power”. Thirty creative outfits designed by students and graduates of the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong (THEi) were showcased. Drawing inspiration from daily life, they redefined creative design in terms of sustainability, functionality and diversified styles.
Climate change is a global issue requiring concerted efforts by all parties to reduce carbon emissions, so as to achieve carbon neutrality and sustainable development. In response to the Government's vision of achieving carbon neutrality before 2050, a ”Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality in VTC” seminar was held yesterday (10 December) at the Event Plaza, with the Under Secretary for Environment and Ecology Miss Diane WONG as guest of honour. Experts from green building, construction engineering and the environment protection discussed environmental issues including Green Building Certification, the recycling and treatment of food waste and electric vehicles, sharing their views on how best to promote sustainable development in Hong Kong. A prize presentation ceremony held in conjunction with the seminar honoured outstanding students from an energy audit training programme organised by the VTC and CLP Power. Around 100 VTC students of the Engineering and Health and Life Sciences Disciplines took part in the training provided by CLP Power engineers and conducted energy audits at 17 VTC’s campuses, identified energy management opportunities, then proposed energy-saving advice and solutions under CLP Power engineers’ mentorship. After completing the energy audit, VTC students have to suggest solutions for energy-saving, and the students with outstanding performance are commended in this occasion.
Established in 1982, the Vocational Training Council (VTC) is the largest vocational and professional education and training provider in Hong Kong. The mission of VTC is to provide a valued choice to school leavers and working people to acquire the values, knowledge and skills for lifelong learning and enhanced employability, and also to provide support to industries for their manpower development. VTC has 13 member institutions, namely the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong (THEi), the Institute of Professional Education And Knowledge (PEAK), the School for Higher and Professional Education (SHAPE), the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (IVE), the Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI), the Hotel and Tourism Institute (HTI), the Chinese Culinary Institute (CCI), the International Culinary Institute (ICI), the Maritime Services Training Institute (MSTI), Youth College, Pro-Act by VTC, the Integrated Vocational Development Centre (IVDC) and the Shine Skills Centre.
Website: www.vtc.edu.hk
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