DSEDJ launches funding scheme for local young professionals in GBA

The Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) of Macau, in partnership with the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL), has opened applications for a funding program aimed at Macau youth seeking career opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA).

The initiative offers financial support to eligible youth working in nine key cities and the Hengqin Guangdong-Macau Cooperation Zone, providing a monthly stipend of MOP5,000 for up to 18 months.

The DSEDJ states, “This funding program aims to further promote the career development of Macao youth, encourage them to actively integrate into the overall development of the country, and provide financial support for eligible Macao youth to work in the nine cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area or the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone.”

To qualify for the scheme, applicants must hold a valid Macau resident identity card, be 35 years or younger, and possess an associate degree or higher. Employment must be formal with legally registered employers listed on the official subsidy scheme websites after January 1, 2025.

Eligible employment locations include Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, Zhaoqing, and the Hengqin Guangdong-Macau Cooperation Zone, with a minimum of 30 working hours per week.

Applicants will be notified by the DSEDJ within 45 days from the last day of the month in which the required documents are submitted. For confirmed applicants, the bureau states that it will “disburse the subsidies in stages.”