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Jockey Club Collaborative Project for Inclusive Employment: Inclusive Education & Employment - Business and School Partnership Scheme Award Presentation Ceremony and Idea Exchange Session aims to build a platform that gathers resources, knowledge, and skills for representatives from the business sector and mainstream schools to facilitate network building and cross-sector collaboration. The Centre for Civil Society and Governance (CCSG) of The University of Hong Kong (HKU) previously launched Inclusive Education & Employment – Business & School Partnership Award Scheme (the Scheme) under the Jockey Club Collaborative Project for Inclusive Employment (the Project), which is funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. Through knowledge exchange sessions, organization visits, and interactive experiential workshops, the Scheme facilitates the corporates to understand how people with disabilities can bring value to business operations riding on the increasingly popular tide of "Environment, Social and Governance" (ESG) and for the education sector to know more about the job market trends. It also aspires to encourage the collaborations between business sector and mainstream schools that implement integrated education to develop more tailored career planning services for special educational needs (SEN) students, so as to enhance their employability, promote inclusive workplace culture, and development of social inclusion.

To acknowledge the efforts of the corporates and community partners made in supporting inclusive employment, the Inclusive Education & Employment - Business and School Partnership Scheme Award Presentation Ceremony and Idea Exchange Session was organized and officiated by Mr. Chris SUN, JP, Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Labour and Welfare Bureau, HKSARG, Ms. Imelda CHAN, Head of Charities (Healthy Community), The Hong Kong Jockey Club and Professor Wai-fung LAM, Director of CCSG-HKU. Representatives of the Scheme’s supporting organisations, including Mr. Ivan IP, School Development Officer, Business-School Partnership Programme, Education Bureau, HKSARG, Mr. Kenneth WU, Head of Education Division, Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, Dr. Kevin LAU, MH, JP, President, Hong Kong Small and Medium Enterprises Development Institute, and the Project’s NGO partners were also invited.

During the event, Professor Wai-fung LAM, Director of CCSG-HKU, underscored the enduring commitment of the Jockey Club Collaborative Project for Inclusive Employment to driving inclusive employment through tangible actions since its launch, noting, "Today’s event vividly demonstrates how 'one plus one is greater than two' — articulating the significance of establishing this collaborative platform within the university’s scope of work. Contemporary societal challenges necessitate collective efforts, where stakeholders synergize and complement each other. Such collaboration not only generates shared benefits and mutual success but also collectively contributes to maximizing societal value and strengthening social bonds."

Mr. Chris SUN, JP, Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Labour and Welfare Bureau, HKSARG, who officiated and presented the awards noted, “I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all participating organizations for organizing this meaningful event to raise awareness about people with disabilities, and encourage employers from all industries to actively hire individuals with disabilities. I hope that all sectors of society can work together to promote equal and inclusive employment, and together, build a caring society that embraces disability inclusion culture.”

Ms. Imelda CHAN, Head of Charities (Healthy Community) at The Hong Kong Jockey Club, expressed that “Promoting a healthy community is one of the priority areas of the Club’s charity strategy. The Club attaches great importance to supporting people with disabilities. We hope to leverage concerted efforts across different sectors to strengthen support for people with disabilities and their caregivers, and explore future opportunities for them, laying the foundation for sustainable development.”

Following the speeches, the officiating guests presented awards to the awardees of the Scheme, which included various enterprises, educational institutions, and other contributing organizations. Once again, they expressed their heartfelt gratitude to partners from various backgrounds for their unwavering support and active involvement in the programme. Their collective efforts opened doors for individuals with disabilities, enabling them to fulfil their potential, thus achieving sustainable development and contributing to creating an inclusive society.

The event also featured the launching ceremony of the "Inclusive Employment Market cum Exhibition 2023," a three-day initiative designed to encourage individuals from all walks of life to explore and appreciate the potential and value of people with disabilities from various backgrounds. By exchanging insights and sharing experiences, the event sought to foster collaboration and advance local inclusive employment opportunities.

The event, in collaboration with the Hong Kong Arts with Disabilities Association, featured a remarkable performance by Ms. Christine LAU, who, despite having mild Down syndrome, boasts extensive experience as a performer. Her modern dance piece, titled "Glow Beyond Limits," was a powerful testament to the idea that imperfections and disabilities do not hinder individuals from leading rich, fulfilling lives and achieving their boundless aspirations through resilience and dedication.

The award presentation ceremony was followed by an idea exchange session. Two invited guest speakers, including Ms. Dorothy LAU, Senior Manager, Environment & Social Responsibility – Insights & Communications, MTR Corporation and Ms. Shun-Lai YANG, Senior Manager, Vocational Training for People with Disabilities Office (VTPDO), VTC, shared their experiences in implementing various projects to promote social inclusion in corporate sector and discussed the opportunities and challenges in providing vocational training for people with disabilities respectively.

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For media inquiries, please contact:
Ms. Renee LAW (Centre for Civil Society and Governance, The University of Hong Kong)
Tel: (852) 3917 8638/ (852) 5464 2824
E-mail: reneel2@hku.hk

About the Project - Jockey Club Collaborative Project for Inclusive Employment
In collaboration with the four key NGO partners – CareER, Heep Hong Society, SAHK and St. James’ Settlement – and funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, Jockey Club Collaborative Project for Inclusive Employment adopts a stakeholder-based and collaborative approach to attaining inclusive employment. The three-year Project aspires to not only raise stakeholders’ awareness and knowledge on inclusive employment, but also to inspire them to take action and become advocates for inclusive employment. We hope to encourage members of the society to think outside the box in terms of job types for people with disabilities (PWD) and provide them with more suitable opportunities, so their talents and contributions can be fully acknowledged from multiple perspectives.

Organized by the Centre for Civil Society and Governance at The University of Hong Kong, the Project’s Inclusive Career Platform will conduct a diagnostic study of inclusive employment and engage members of the community and key stakeholders to participate in a community-wide re-visioning exercise to reflect upon what inclusive employment and social inclusion entail. We will also establish an information commons for assessing and sharing information, and build an action platform to empower talents, incubate ideas, leverage resources and form working networks. We trust that such collaboration can ultimately lead to the raising societal awareness on and furthering the cause of inclusive employment, achieving an inclusive and sustainable society. More information about the Project can be found on: https://platformforinclusion.hk/en/home.

About the Centre for Civil Society and Governance, The University of Hong Kong
Established in December 2002, the Centre for Civil Society and Governance (the Centre) strives to enhance our knowledge of civil society and its contribution towards good governance, and to facilitate the attainment of a sustainable society through forging community-based, innovative solutions to inform policy deliberation and collective actions.

Established in December 2002, the Centre was the first research centre in Hong Kong dedicated to enhancing our knowledge of civil society—its nature, constituents, dynamics, roles; and facilitating the attainment of a sustainable society through forging community-based, innovative solutions to inform policy deliberation and collective actions. The work of the Centre is organized around three Labs—the Policy for Sustainability Lab (PSL), the Social Entrepreneurship and Civic Action Lab (SECAL), and the Nonprofits and Philanthropy Lab (NPPL); each of them representing a research focus and an area of excellence of the Centre. More information about the Centre can be found on: http://ccsg.hku.hk.