Background

With the recent adjustments in the volume of construction projects in the private sector, the construction industry may experience challenges in nurturing and retaining talents. With the support of the Government, the Construction Industry Council (CIC) has allocated approximately HK$174,000,000 to subsidise the construction industry in providing on-the-job training for a total of 2,500 graduates from degree programmes in engineering, architecture, surveying, planning and landscape architecture disciplines and 400 graduates from construction-related higher diploma programmes. The Scheme aims to enrich the professional knowledge and experience of the graduates, assist more young people in obtaining professional qualifications, and thereby nurture more talent for the industry.

Eligibility

Applicants must fulfil all the criteria listed below:

  1. The Applicants must be Consultancy Firms or Main Contractors engaging in one of the five professional disciplines of the construction industry (i.e. engineering, architecture, surveying, planning and landscape architecture), and must be included in any one of the lists below:
    Main Contractors:
    Main Contractors who have paid a levy to the CIC pursuant to the Construction Industry Council Ordinance (Cap. 587) since 17 March 2023.
    Consultancy Firms:
    They are on the lists maintained by construction professional institutes or the Government:
    1. The Architectural and Associated Consultants Selection Board
    2. Member companies of the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors
    3. Member companies of the Association of Consultant Engineering of Hong Kong
    4. Member companies of the Association of Registered Engineering Consultants
    5. The Band 3 Architectural Consultants maintained by the Association of Architectural Practices Ltd
    6. Member companies of the Association of Consultant Quantity Surveyors
    7. The Engineering and Associated Consultants Selection Board
    8. The Band 3 Architectural Consultants and the list of Registered Practices maintained by the Hong Kong Institute of Architects
    9. The Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects
    10. The Hong Kong Institute of Planners
  2. The Applicants must be registered companies pursuant to the Business Registration Ordinance (Cap. 310, Laws of Hong Kong); and
  3. The employees of a subsidiary company, which does not fulfil the eligibility criterion under item 1 above, but with 30% or more ownership is being held by the Applicant, irrespective of different Business Registration numbers, can be treated as the Applicant’s employees. However, the Applicant is required to justify that these employees are engaged for performing the Applicant’s contracts during the entire subsidy period at the disbursement stage.
  4. The employees of a subsidiary company, which does not fulfil the eligibility criterion under item 1 above, but with 30% or more ownership is being held by the Applicant, irrespective of different Business Registration numbers, can be treated as the Applicant’s employees. However, the Applicant is required to justify that these employees are engaged for performing the Applicant’s contracts during the entire subsidy period at the disbursement stage.
  5. The Applicants must have employed young construction graduates (“Young Graduates”) as their full-time employees to engage in construction-related professional work within the subsidy period. The Young Graduates must fulfil the following criteria as at 1 July 2025*:
    1. Valid Hong Kong identity card holders under the age of 35; and
    2. Under the full-time employment of the Applicant; and
    3. Graduates of professional degree programmes recognised by the five Professional Institutes for qualifying to be professionals of the relevant profession and are yet to obtain the professional memberships; (2,500 quotas) or
    4. Graduates of higher diploma programmes accredited by the five Professional Institutes as associate members (400 quotas), who are:
      1. Full-time employed by main contractors; and
      2. Performing similar professional duties at their work, e.g. Project Coordinators / Site Agents working on construction sites.
    * For 2025 graduates, the criteria must be fulfilled as at 1 December.

Subsidy Level

Approved companies will receive a monthly subsidy of HK$5,000 for each of their Young Graduate quotas for a period of 12 months.

Subsidy Period

The subsidy period runs from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026 (a total of 12 months)*. Approved companies must retain the approved number of Young Graduates throughout the subsidy period. Upon approval by the CIC, the approved companies will receive disbursements in two months.
* For 2025 Young Graduates, the subsidy period should be from 1 December 2025 to 30 November 2026.

Application Period and Application Arrangements

The application period runs from 17 March to 16 April 2025.

At the time of application, only the desired number of subsidy quota for Young Graduates are required to be provided. Personal details of the Young Graduates are not required at this stage.

Applicants will receive the results of the approval-in-principle in May-June 2025, indicating whether their application is approved and the number of approved subsidy quotas. They shall submit valid documentation supporting their employment of Young Graduates to the CIC for disbursement submissions before the specified deadline.

Liability of the Applicants

  1. Apart from providing all the employment protections as stipulated under labour legislation, the Applicants shall also provide on-the-job training to the subsidised Young Graduates to enrich their professional knowledge and experience, and assist more young people in obtaining professional qualifications;
  2. The Applicants shall submit sufficient, true and accurate supporting documents as approved by the CIC for the purpose of application approval and disbursements;
  3. The Applicants shall sign a declaration to confirm that they will follow all the requirements under the Scheme. In case any false declaration is found or the approved applicants fail to fulfil all the requirements under the Scheme, the CIC shall be entitled to demand the return of the disbursements in part or in full or take other actions; and
  4. The Applicants shall agree that the CIC may spot-check the applications, including checking the related documents on-site, and transferring the application information and documents to relevant Government departments on request for reviewing and assuring that the approved applicants have followed all the requirements under the Scheme. The CIC shall ensure that the use and disclosure of related information is only for purposes related to the Scheme.

Document Download

Guide to Application (Rev. 1) PDF

Frequently Asked Questions (Rev. 1)
(Currently available in Chinese only) PDF

Personal Information Collection Statement PDF

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