VTC holds 2023 Graduation Ceremonies and Presentation Ceremony for Dr Ng Tat-lun Memorial Outstanding Students Award Scheme

The Vocational Training Council (VTC) held its 2023 graduation ceremonies, where about 14,000 graduates from different VTC member institutions were conferred with awards ranging from Bachelor Degree to Higher Diploma, Diploma of Foundation Studies, Diploma of Vocational Education, Diploma and Certificate. At the Graduation Ceremony held yesterday (2 December), the Dr Ng Tat-lun Memorial Outstanding Students Award was presented to ten VTC students in recognition of their excellent performances in academic studies, social welfare services and whole-person development. They were encouraged to study hard and make best use of their potential to contribute to society. 

Secretary for Education Dr CHOI Yuk-lin said in a pre-recorded speech that the Government attaches great importance to youth development and spares no effort in providing quality education for the young generation. Vocational and professional education and training (VPET) plays a vital role in Hong Kong's education system. The VTC has always been a close partner of the Government in actively supporting the promotion and development of VPET to strengthen its progression pathway. She said the Government will continue to support VTC’s “think and do” approach, which aims to assist students in mastering professional knowledge and skills and guide them in unleashing their talents in their career development or further studies. Dr CHOI offered words of encouragement to the graduates, advising them to equip themselves with knowledge, seize every learning opportunity to fulfil their dreams and be ready to embrace future challenges and opportunities, so as to contribute to the development of society and the country.

VTC Chairman Mr Tony TAI and Executive Director Mr Donald TONG also addressed graduates at the ceremony. Mr TAI said that with the national support, Hong Kong had proactively taken measures to boost Hong Kong's diversified economy. He believed that innovation and technology, new industrialisation and the development of cultural and creative industry and tourism, modern logistics, and aviation and maritime affairs would provide abundant opportunities to VPET students. The VTC as the largest VPET provider in Hong Kong would continue to enrich its programmes, enhance teaching facilities and incorporate innovation and technology in its offerings to keep up-to-date with industry developments and manpower demand. Mr TAI also thanked the teaching team for their guidance and support given to the graduates, and expressed appreciation to the Government and industry for their strong support, especially for industry partners’ valuable advice on VPET development, as well as the internship opportunities and scholarships provided for students to help them realise their dreams.

Mr TONG said that with the professional skills and knowledge acquired, VTC graduates could move forward and start a new chapter in life with confidence. He wished all graduates every success as they embark on their journey of professional development to pursue their dreams.

The graduation ceremonies being held in these two weeks are for various VTC member institutions, including the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong (THEi), the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (IVE), the Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI), the Maritime Services Training Institute (MSTI), the Hotel and Tourism Institute (HTI), the Chinese Culinary Institute (CCI), the International Culinary Institute (ICI) and Youth College. This year’s ceremonies are being conducted in hybrid mode on 28 and 29 November and 2 and 9 December. Graduates and their parents are welcome to attend the ceremony in person or via the online platform to share the joy.

The Dr Ng Tat-lun Memorial Outstanding Students Award Scheme Presentation Ceremony was held jointly with the graduation ceremony on 2 December at the IVE (Lee Wai Lee) and HKDI. Ten VTC students from different disciplines were awarded the scholarship (see appendix for the awardee list). The Award Scheme was founded by the late Dr NG Tat-lun in 2006 and has since benefited many outstanding VTC students. In addition to recognising students’ excellent academic achievement, the Scheme also encourages students’ diversified learning and participation in extracurricular activities to broaden their knowledge and horizons, equipping them to contribute to society in the future. Awardees were presented a scholarship of HK$10,000 each for their excellence in leadership, personal attributes, extracurricular activities and community service.

Lucas TANG Chung-hei, graduate of IVE’s Higher Diploma in Community Service Planning and Navigation programme, was one of the awardees. Though Lucas managed to do well academically in secondary school, he didn’t get used to the conventional teaching and learning. After secondary school education, he enrolled in the Diploma of Vocational Education programme at Youth College and discovered his interest in becoming a social worker during his VPET studies. He took part in volunteer services where he visited elderly living alone and organised activities for seniors. Lucas went on to IVE in 2021 to continue his studies. He had the chance to participate in a group project with his schoolmates to design a Smart Watch for elderly people with dementia. The watch uses voice navigation and control to provide daily life reminders and support, such as recording frequently-visited places and nearby real-life reference points. It also offers location tracking and emergency assistance to prevent elderly users from getting lost. The students’ design won the Best Presentation Award and Outstanding Performance Award at the Social Innovation Expo organised by the Department of Childcare, Elderly and Community Services at IVE (Sha Tin). Lucas has also taken up internship opportunities at a local social welfare organisation to organise various activities for seniors, such as online games for elderly people with dementia, along with reminiscence therapy and cognitive training workshops. These experiences have further solidified his determination to become a professional social worker. He has now started a bachelor's degree in Social Work at a local tertiary institution, hoping to use his life to influence others.

Chelsea LEE Ka-ki, another awardee of the Dr Ng Tat-lun Memorial Outstanding Students Award Scheme, has devoted herself to the engineering field. Chelsea’s learning journey did not come without challenges. After HKDSE, she explored various post-secondary education options, but still she could not find a direction in her life. The pandemic gave her the chance to reconsider her career planning. She got to know that the engineering industry in Hong Kong was full of opportunities and offered professional qualifications, so she opted for her career path to Engineering and applied for IVE’s Higher Diploma in Surveying programme. During her time at IVE, Chelsea was offered workplace learning opportunities in a large-scale local engineering company, where she was involved in tasks such as calculating construction costs and assisting the audit procedures for a project. She also participated in an energy audit programme organised by VTC and a local power company, taking responsibility for assessing the effectiveness of the operation of energy equipment and electricity consumption at IVE’s campuses. Based on the findings, she prepared a report and proposal on energy-saving which earned her recognition in the competition. It helped Chelsea further understand the importance of sustainable development. With an outstanding 3.86 Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA), Chelsea has already received the Alistair Harvey Foundation Scholarship to support her goal of completing university education. She is now taking a bachelor’s degree in Quantity Surveying at the University of Reading in the UK. “At the very beginning, my family didn’t support me to return to school, but when they witnessed my study journey with determination and hard work, they looked at me differently,” she says. “Females often excel in communication and attention to detail, which can contribute to effective project co-ordination. For sure, females can thrive and achieve great success in the engineering industry.” Her latest honour of a Dr Ng Tat-lun Memorial Outstanding Students Award affirms her excellence and has given a strong boost to her dream of becoming a professional surveyor.

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 14 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 Hong Kong Institute of Information Technology (HKIIT),  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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