Employees call for more government upskilling incentives

These could take the form of tax rebates or subsidies.

Nine in 10 (90.7%) employees in Hong Kong believe that the government should offer incentives like tax rebates or subsidies to incentivise upskilling, according to Randstad’s workmonitor.

This is on par with the Southeast Asia average of 90.9 but slightly higher than the global average of 84.2.

“Supporting employees to upskill or re-skill themselves to remain competitive in the workforce is a win-win solution for both employers and government,” said Randstad Hong Kong managing director Natalie Sun.

In a breakdown, males want more incentives than women (91.5% vs 89.8%) to develop their core professional competencies and learn new work skills.

Those in the 18-34 age group also outnumber those in the 35-54 demographic in their call for the government to offer upskilling incentives to remain employable.

“In a talent-short market like Hong Kong, employees stand a better chance for career progression and are able to command a higher salary when they continue to upskill their competencies," Sun added.