Second phase of talent scheme to include non-local students

The second phase of the government’s “Talent Recruitment System” will permit applications from non-resident university students who have completed their studies at local tertiary education institutions, the Chief Executive (CE), Ho Iat Seng, announced yesterday at the Legislative Assembly (AL).

The announcement came during a question and answer session between the CE and lawmakers about this year’s policy address and other social matters that took place yesterday at the AL.

In response to an initial question from lawmaker Ma Chi Seng on the talent acquisition programs, echoed later by other lawmakers, Ho revealed that, during the meeting of the Talents Development Committee (CDQQ) held last Friday week, the committee members approved a resolution to make the change. The change will come into effect during the second phase of the scheme, which is due to start next month.

“During the last meeting [of the CDQQ], we approved this [resolution] so that, from May [this year], we can start accepting applications from [non-local university graduates],” Ho said, reaffirming that the scheme aims to attract highly qualified professionals from top areas worldwide.

“We can see, for example, that we now have local universities that rank among the top 200 universities in the world, and we know that these institutions have a lot of students who are non-residents. Can these students be integrated? It is our wish that excellent students can be included and contribute more to local development,” the CE said. He added, “they already know Macau and have been here for some time. They also have already developed an attachment to our city. We believe that they have the profile that we are looking for.”

Nonetheless, Ho warned that, in the case of the general program, Macau cannot “take them all.”

“Some people, due to their specialties, are not needed. It will depend on the industries and needs,” the CE remarked, adding also that Macau residents returning from abroad remain the priority to fill the city’s preexisting job vacancies.

In his reply, Ho also noted that the aim of the scheme is never to “import labor on a large scale but rather in accordance with the developmental needs of industries included into the ‘1+4’ development scheme.”

“When we import labor, we need to make sure job vacancies do, in fact, exist. We won’t allow imported labor to come to Macau without having first secured an opportunity,” Ho noted, reaffirming that those approved will receive a Macau ID and come to Macau to work for local companies or institutions, or to establish their own business.

“We will also support their families to relocate to Macau, integrating them into local schools and others. This is all part of our program,” he concluded, noting that this measure would also help with the current lack of local students in the non-tertiary sector. In the long run, lacking numbers in this sector can jeopardize the life of some educative institutions, due also to the drop in the local birthrate over the last decade and longer. RM