Press Releases
EOC Co-organises Recruitment Fair for Ethnically Diverse Aspirants
20/10/2024
The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), along with the Federation of Hong Kong Ethnic Communities (Federation), held the Racial Diversity & Inclusion Recruitment Fair today (20 October 2024) for ethnic minority job aspirants at the Khalsa Diwan (Sikh Temple) in Wan Chai. There were also celebrations of the 75th Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 15th Anniversary of the implementation of the Race Discrimination Ordinance at the opening ceremony of the recruitment fair.
Officiating at the opening ceremony was Mr CHEUK Wing-hing, Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and EOC Chairperson Ms Linda LAM Mei-sau. Addressing the audience, which comprised EOC members, Federation members, senior leaders of the Khalsa Diwan (Sikh Temple) and supporting employers, Mr Cheuk said, “Hong Kong is a cosmopolitan city with rich tapestry of people connections, vibrant economic activities and a flourishing multi-cultural scene. Ethnic minority community continues to play an integral part in strengthening Hong Kong’s workforce and driving our productivity. The current-term Government places importance on enhancing support and services for ethnic minorities. As just announced in the Chief Executive’s Policy Address 2024, the Government will engage one more “Support Service Centre for Ethnic Minorities” to provide interpretation and translation services for ethnic minorities next year, so as to reduce language barrier concerns. In terms of education, more resources will also be invested in boosting support for learning Chinese and parental assistance for our non-Chinese speaking students.”
Ms LAM expressed her gratitude to the Federation which first approached the EOC with this partnership idea and the Khalsa Diwan (Sikh Temple) for hosting the fair. She said, “This is a first-time initiative of the EOC to co-organise a job fair, which aims to change the perception about the skills that our ethnically diverse communities can provide for the job market. We wish to see more opportunities for members of the communities to perform at different levels of an organisation and not just in unskilled or manual positions. We would like to showcase talents with strong skills, solid qualifications and outstanding aptitude, who will make good matches for the broad range of jobs brought by the organisations to this fair.”
Ms LAM added, “No one can deny the benefits of a diverse workforce. A diverse and inclusive team can foster creativity and innovation. It also promotes a sense of belonging among employees. Numerous studies have found that diverse companies make better decisions, enhance innovation, and improve employee retention. As Hong Kong employers strive to recruit and retain talents in the challenging labour market, we think it is equally important to nurture our diverse home-grown talent. Being Hong Kong residents, our ethnic minorities are familiar with the local environment and are prepared to make contributions to the city they call home.”
Bringing together five Government Departments and 11 corporate organisations, the job fair offered a wide range of job vacancies across different sectors, qualifications and levels. Among those in the government sector were the Civil Aviation Department, Correctional Services Department, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Fire Services Department and the Hong Kong Police Force. Adding to them were 11 corporate organisations, namely Arup Group, Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd., Citybus Ltd., DFI Retail Group, English Schools Foundation, Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Co. Ltd., John Swire & Son (HK) Ltd., Manulife (International) Ltd., Marriott International Inc., MTR Corporation Ltd. and The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Ltd., which brought with them diverse job offerings. The vacancies ranged from frontline operations and accounting to engineering and teaching. The job fair also provided one-on-one career counselling and resume-writing tips from 2 recruitment firms, The ConnectedGroup and WISE Inclusion Hong Kong.
Today’s fair marks the collaborative efforts of the EOC and the Federation, with the EOC having reached into its large employer network through its Racial Diversity & Inclusion Employer Charter and invited a number of corporations to participate in this pilot job fair, and the Federation having liaised with government departments to bring in exciting job opportunities as well as the Khalsa Diwan (Sikh Temple)’s provision of venue and promotional support.
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The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), along with the Federation of Hong Kong Ethnic Communities, hold the Racial Diversity & Inclusion Recruitment Fair today (20 October 2024) for career aspirants at the Khalsa Diwan (Sikh Temple) in Wan Chai. Mr CHEUK Wing-hing, Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (centre); Ms Linda LAM Mei-sau, EOC Chairperson (sixth from left); Dr Rizwan ULLAH, EOC Member (fifth from left); Mr Akil Khan, President of the Federation of Hong Kong Ethnic Communities (sixth from right); and Mr Bhagt Singh Phul, President of Khalsa Diwan Hong Kong (Sikh Temple) (fifth from right), together with other EOC Members and guests officiate at the opening ceremony of the Recruitment Fair.
Mr CHEUK Wing-hing, Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (sixth from left), joins a group photo with Ms Linda LAM Mei-sau, EOC Chairperson (fifth from left), and other guests at the Racial Diversity and Inclusion Recruitment Fair.
Five Government Departments and 11 corporate organisations set up booths at the Racial Diversity & Inclusion Recruitment Fair. Photo shows Mr CHEUK Wing-hing, Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (second from right) and Ms Linda LAM Mei-sau, EOC Chairperson (second from left) touring the recruitment fair.
Five Government Departments and 11 corporate organisations set up booths at the Racial Diversity & Inclusion Recruitment Fair. Photo shows Mr CHEUK Wing-hing, Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (first from left) and Ms Linda LAM Mei-sau, EOC Chairperson (second from right) touring the recruitment fair.
A group photo of the guests who attend the opening ceremony of the Racial Diversity & Inclusion Recruitment Fair.