Dear Members,

With rollouts of vaccination programmes around the world, the global fi nancial outlook is turning optimistic. The International Monetary Fund predicted a global economic rebound at 5.5% for 2021, pointing towards postCOVID growth. In Hong Kong, the economy is forecasted to grow by a margin of 3.5% to 5.5% this year. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, the Greater Bay Area Initiative, and the Belt and Road Initiative are expected to propel economic integration in the region.

Closer to home, the 2021-22 Budget features relief measures that support employment. These include the further allocation of HK$6.6 billion for the Job Creation Scheme, which provides around 30,000 time-limited jobs for a period of up to 12 months, and the expansion of the scope of the Continuing Education Fund to cover online courses.

Under the HKSAR Government’s current Anti-epidemic Fund, the Civil Service Bureau has engaged the HKIHRM to implement a Job Creation Scheme which offers a subsidy of up to HKD10,000 or 50% of the actual salary (whichever is lower) for 500 time-limited new job quotas of different skill sets in the private sector. The Scheme is exclusive for HKIHRM members. Further details can be found on our website.

In addition to the HKIHRM Job Creation Scheme, our Institute launched a new enrolment e-platform. This initiative allows members to enrol and pay in a more secure and effi cient way and enjoy a smoother user experience. A dedicated website is available for the platform.

Themed “Learning and Development Practices Amid COVID-19”, our latest pulse check is featured in this issue. Be sure to check out the article for the fi ndings which refl ect the public health situation’s impact on workplace training.

Entitled “Reinventing L&D amid COVID-19”, the Training and Development Needs Webinar 2021 will be held on 24 June. At the Webinar, participating L&D, Talent and HR professionals will be able to unlock summary results of the latest Hong Kong Training and Development Needs Survey and leverage industry insights to advance lifelong learning at work.

The second half of 2021 will bring you the Pay Trend & Benefi ts Seminar and the Annual Conference & Exhibition, which we hope to hold as physical events. We look forward to seeing you again as we emerge stronger from the public health situation together.

Barry Ip Vice

President of the HKIHRM