Young Hongkongers think that importing overseas talent helps make the city more competitive, but they are worried that the admission scheme will affect their chances of employment. That’s the finding of a survey conducted by Youth I.D.E.A.S., a branch of the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups. The group interviewed 520 people aged from 18 to 39 for the study.
On a scale of one to 10, respondents gave the Immigration Department’s Admission Schemes for Talent, Professionals and Entrepreneurs an average score of 6.1 for promoting new industries. They gave a score of 6.0 for how they think it will increase the competitiveness of Hong Kong’s human capital.
They also gave a score of 6.3 for the negative effect the scheme will have on employment opportunities for local people, and 6.0 for making strife worse within society. Other worries include rising property prices and threats to their careers.
Overall, support for the scheme was scored at 5.8.
More than a third of the interviewees said the scheme was short-sighted, because it only imports talent the city currently lacks, and neglects long term development. They believe the creative, medical, research, engineering, information technology, and construction sectors would need more talent in the future.
The survey also found that the youth interviewed had a positive attitude towards talent admitted from overseas countries. Interviewees feel those are well-paid, enterprising professionals who easily integrate with the local culture. However, they believe that talent admitted from the mainland are cheap and stubborn.
In 2014, 52,000 people were admitted to Hong Kong through the scheme.