Macau to open first mainland ‘Youth Home’ in Guangzhou this fall

The first “Macau Youth Homes” on the mainland is expected to be established in Guangzhou in the third quarter of this year, creating a one-stop development service platform to support Macau youth pursuing opportunities in mainland China, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture O Lam announced.

The initiative is part of the “Caring for Macao Tertiary Students Studying Abroad Scheme,” launched this school year in collaboration with community associations. The Youth Home will be located in a mainland city popular among Macau students for further studies and internships.

The announcement came in response to an oral inquiry from legislator Kou Ngon Seng regarding performance evaluation and follow-up support for youth internship and career subsidy programs.

O Lam said the Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) reviews the “Macau Tertiary Students Mainland Internship Program” annually. Since its launch, internship locations have expanded from Guangdong province to include Jiangsu, Beijing, and Shanghai. A new internship subsidy of MOP5,000 was introduced last year.

A database will be established to track employment outcomes for participants in the “Macao Youth Career Path Subsidy Scheme in the Greater Bay Area,” which is still in its early stages. The government will conduct surveys with organizations, enterprises and youth to strengthen performance evaluation.

The “Macau Youth Job Matching Fair” has added a “Macau International Education (University) City Recruitment Plan” and a dedicated zone for a social service facility IT support training course this year.

Regarding talent demand research, DSEDJ director Kong Chi Meng said the bureau will shorten its forecasting period to one to two years, acknowledging that three- to five-year forecasts are unreliable due to market uncertainty. A preliminary report is expected by year-end.