Lawmaker calls on gov’t to reinforce tech and AI training for better employability

O Lam

Lawmaker Lam Lon Wai has called on the government to pay more attention to new trends and reinforce training in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a means to promote technology and enhance the employability of residents.
Lam expressed his opinion and suggestions during an oral inquiry delivered at the Legislative Assembly yesterday, on the second day of Q&A on various topics between lawmakers and government representatives.

In his speech, the lawmaker, linked with the Macau Federation of Trade Unions, noted that the current development of industries emphasizes science and regulation, giving importance to planning and the stockpiling of technology.

In particular, he remarked, “support must be strengthened in the areas of infrastructure, training, the application of chips, and the use of artificial intelligence,” calling on the government to disclose its plans to create a training system that ties in with the country’s scientific and technological development.

Lam Lon Wai

The same lawmaker also wants the government to better support innovation and the application of technologies by adopting measures to strengthen the teaching, practice, and application of intelligent technologies in Macau’s industries.

Lam explicitly called for the government to strengthen the internship mechanism between schools and companies, as well as the training model of traditional schools, to create a new training base that integrates “Education-Technology-Employment.”

In response, the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, O Lam, said that the government “has been implementing the spirit of President Xi Jinping’s important speeches and acting in accordance with the guidelines of the integrated development of ‘Education, Science and Technology, and Skilled Staff,’ through two areas: ‘regular education system’ and ‘lifelong learning.’”

According to O Lam, these areas also focus on the construction of an AI education system and scientific generalization, as well as the development of AI education at all educational levels.

She also noted that the construction of the Macau and Hengqin International Education (University) City, as well as Macau’s participation in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area State Higher Education Institutions Technology Transfer and Transformation Center, serves as a strategy for establishing a base for aggregating outstanding international, qualified cadres.

As far as the regular education system is concerned, the government has addressed the issue at the highest level, having completed the revision of curricula and basic academic skills requirements documents to incorporate AI programming and teaching into the curricula of primary and secondary schools.

Additionally, AI content is being integrated into the curriculum guidelines for information technology classes, allowing the development of AI teaching.

“This year, in closer coordination with the ‘Law for the Popularization of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China’ and the ‘General Planning Guidelines for the Construction of a Great Educational Power (2024–2035),’ promulgated at the beginning of the year, a mid-term evaluation of Macau’s non-higher education planning will be carried out to build an innovative technological support system,” she announced.

Regarding the development of teaching materials and training for teaching staff, the Secretary also noted that “several reference teaching materials from mainland China have been introduced for adoption in schools.”

The same official noted that last year, the Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) and South China Normal University established a new learning and exchange base with a focus on AI teaching. This base provides teaching materials on AI and invites experts and academics from the mainland to give training and support for teaching staff in the development of AI teaching activities.

This year, DSEDJ has incorporated AI training into its core professional development activities. This AI- or science-and-technology-related training in schools will have an average duration of 10 hours per academic year for computer science teachers and 6 hours for teachers of other subjects.

O Lam also stated that, regarding lifelong learning, the Macau Science Center will offer a series of programs open to the entire community.

According to the same official, a “smart teaching” service platform is also planned to be established this year, which has already been in trial use by 25 non-tertiary education establishments.

The goal is for the platform to be available to all secondary schools in Macau by the upcoming academic year.