Tung Wah College (TWC) welcomes measures regarding the enhancement of Post-secondary Education and promotion of Vocational and Professional Education and Training (VPET) put forth in the Policy Address, including the increase of the numbers of subsidised places for self-financing higher diploma programmes and self-financing undergraduate programmes under the Study Subsidy Scheme for Designated Professions/Sectors (SSSDP), the introduction of more applied degree programmes, the provision of more flexibility for institutions to admit students with VPET qualifications and the enhancement of the VPET progression pathway, so as to benefit students from different backgrounds, for nuturing more talents to meet the needs of different sectors.

In the 2023/24 academic year, TWC will offer a total of five degree programmes which are included  in  the  Study  Subsidy  Scheme  for  Designated  Professions/Sectors  (SSSDP), in which 50  subsidised places were added to the programme of the Bachelor of Health Science (Honours) in Nursing, when compared with the corresponding figures in the 2022/23 academic year.  The addition will help train up more nursing profressionals to alleviate the shortage of manpower faced by the public healthcare system.

Professor Sally Chan, President of TWC, said, “TWC has been responding positively to the needs of the community by nuturing more than 2,500 nursing garduates over the years. I believe the increase of subsidised places will attract more new blood to join the healthcare sector.” Moreover, Professor Sally Chan welcomed the study of requiring by way of legislation qualified healthcare professionals to serve in public healthcare institutions for a specified period of time, and commented that such arrangement will allow graduates to acquire working experience in different areas within public healthcare institutions, it will also ensure the stable provision of public healthcare services.

Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Applied Gerontology offered by TWC was selected for Pilot Project on the Development of Applied Degree Programmes in the 2022/23 academic year . At the same time, the programme has been included in the SSSDP. In response to the keen manpower demand in elderly services of the community, the programme offers more flexible admission requirements for applicants who are currently practising or holding qualifications other than the HKDSE. Applicants may apply for entry to Year 1 or Year 3 of the programme with their relevant working experience under the Recognition of Prior Learning mechanism of the Qualifications Framework or upon completion of relevant VPET programmes. Policy Address accords priorities under the SSSDP to programmes of applied nature that involve industry-institution collaboration, it will provide more flexibility for institutions to admit students with VPET qualifications. Professor Sally Chan considered that the policy concerned will enable more incumbent practitioners or people pursuing further education to be granted with subsidies under the SSSDP, not only easing their burden of tuition fees incurred by continuing education, but also enhancing their professional image by making good use of their extensive working experience. It also helps to nurture talents for industries with a keen manpower demand.

Professor Sally Chan said, “TWC appreciates the Government’s proactive promotion of programmes of applied nature, such efforts will help equip more talents to ease the keen manpower demand in the elderly care and healthcare services, and also provide diversified progression pathways to non-DSE graduates. As always, TWC will continue to join hands with the Government and the healthcare sector to fully support the policies concerned, and uphold the mission of nuturing outstanding graduates, aiming to meet the manpower demand in the supplementary medical and healthcare sector.”