Six in 10 employers believe higher diploma graduates, degree holders on par

Starting salaries for both remain between $17,000 and $23,000.

Six in 10 (60%) of Hong Kong employers believed that higher diploma information and computer technology (ICT) graduates possess skills comparable to, or even stronger than, university degree graduates, a survey found.

In a CLAP-TECH Pathway (CLAP-TECH) survey, it was also found that employers’ recognition of the soft and hard skills of higher diploma graduates has increased by 8.8 and 17.1 percentage points, respectively. Starting salaries for both remain between $17,000 and $23,000.

In the ICT industry, the majority of higher diploma graduates (68%) fit within the salary range whilst only 56.4% of university degree fresh graduates are in the same bracket.

Moreover, some 70% expect salary increments for higher diploma and university degree fresh graduates in 2025 to be between 2% and 5.9%.

Meanwhile, employers in the industry reported an average time of three months to fill suitable vacancies.

During job interviews, employers have shifted their focus from candidates' internships to demonstrating soft skills such as communication (81.7%), problem-solving abilities (81.5%), and leadership potential (57.1%).

The proportion of employers who value leadership potential surged, nearly doubling and increasing by over 1.7 times.

However, more than 24.2% of employers in the ICT industry believe that current candidates lack these skills whilst academic performance and credentials are considered a lesser priority.