Tung Wah College (TWC) held a media reception today (16 March), during which Professor Sally Chan, President of TWC, shared the College’s latest development and announced its graduates’ employment situation for 2022 with the media.

90% of TWC Graduates Joined the Healthcare Sector  

Average Monthly Income Achieved Record High Again

TWC conducted the 2022 graduate survey on graduates’ employment situation from October to December last year. A total of 622 graduates responded to the survey, at a rate of almost 87%. According to the data collected, 93% of graduates secured jobs or opted for continuing studies upon graduation. About 76% of graduates earned a monthly salary of more than HK$30,000. The overall average monthly salary of graduates increased by about 1.16% from HK$29,937 in 2021 to HK$30,286 in 2022. The median monthly income is HK$33,245, achieving a record high and with a marginal increase of 0.5% when compared with the corresponding figure in 2021.

In the year 2022, graduates of the Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Radiation Therapy reported the highest average monthly salary of over HK$34,000. The average monthly salary of graduates from the Higher Diploma in Nursing is HK$24,000, the highest among sub degree programmes. Professor Chan said, “The COVID-19 pandemic, combined with global ageing population, has led to a significant increase in demand for healthcare services. I am pleased to see that 90% of the College's graduates have joined the medical and healthcare sector. By adding such new workforce to the understaffed medical and healthcare sector, it would help to relief the manpower pressure faced by public hospitals. The survey showed that more than 95% of graduates are satisfied with their current jobs, and more than 90% of graduates are serving in professions related to the programmes they had completed, demonstrating that the knowledge gained from the College's programmes are practical and applicable at workplace, which have successfully equipped young people with the professional skills they need, paving their way to join the profession of their choice after graduation.”

Concern about Manpower Shortage in the Elderly Service Sector 　

Offering Programmes to Cope with Social Development

In response to the local demand for healthcare service management talents, TWC has started to offer the Bachelor of Health Information and Services Management (Honours) programme in the 2022/2023 academic year, with the first cohort of students admitted last September. Amid the severe manpower shortage in the elderly service sector, the Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Applied Gerontology (AG) was selected by the Education Bureau for the Pilot Project on the Development of Applied Degree Programmes in 2021 and has started in the 2022/2023 academic year. In addition, the programme has been included in the Study Subsidy Scheme for Designated Professions/Sectors (SSSDP). Apart from the First Year Entry, top-up degree places for the Third Year Entry of AG programme will also be supported by the SSSDP in the 2023/2024 academic year. Such support reflects the Government’s recognition of TWC, and the College cultivates professional talents urgently needed in the elderly care sector.

Professor Chan said, “Following the amendment made by the Government to the Residential Care Homes (Elderly Persons) Ordinance (Cap. 459), there must be one nurse on duty for every 60 residents in each residential care home. There is a significant increase in demand for nurses working in elderly service sector. In order to meet the manpower demand for Enrolled Nurses in the welfare sector, TWC has been commissioned by the Social Welfare Department (SWD) to provide a two-year full-time Training Programme for Enrolled Nurse (EN) (General) in the welfare sector. Starting from the 2023/2024 academic year, TWC will offer 150 fully subsidised training places under the Higher Diploma in Nursing for five consecutive years. Admitted students are required to serve in the welfare sector for a continuous period of no less than 3 years after satisfactory completion of the training. It is believed that we will help the welfare sector to train up more Enrolled Nurse (EN) (General) for boosting the supply of local nurses in the elderly service sector.”

Subsidised Places Increase More Than 30% in New Academic Year 

Bachelor of Health Science (Hons) in Nursing Get the Highest No. of Places under SSSDP

In the 2023/2024 academic year, together with the 150 subsidised places funded by the SWD and the 865 subsidised places under the SSSDP, the total number of TWC’s subsidised places will increase more than 30% from this academic year.  Professor Chan remarked, “The College has always been actively lobbying with the Government for more subsidised places, in order to relieve financial burdens of our students. The significant increase in subsidised places has again reflected the Government’s recognition on the College’s strengths in programme offering. Following the expansion of the SSSDP to further cover top-up degree programmes, 130 places for top-up degree places for the Third Year Entry will be added to the programme of Bachelor of Health Science (Honours) in Nursing in the 2023/2024 academic year, resulting in 530 places under SSSDP for the programme, which is the highest number of places among programmes under SSSDP in Hong Kong, nurturing more nursing talents for the medical and healthcare sector.

Moreover, TWC has received a grant of HK$26.5 million from the Education Bureau’s Enhancement and Start-up Grant Scheme for Self-financing Post-secondary Education (ESGS) to launch the first self-financing Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Medical Imaging in Hong Kong, in response to the strong local demand for diagnostic radiographers. The programme will be launched in the 2024/2025 academic year, the details are still pending approval from the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications and RAD Board.

Actively Recruit World-class Scholars

Research Capability Proceeding Vigorously

Professor Chan also mentioned TWC’s outstanding research achievement last year, the research funding granted in the 2021/2022 academic year has increased 2.5 times from the past, she added, “In just one or two years, TWC has significantly improved its research capabilities. Several scholars’ research achievements have been repeatedly recognised internationally, and their performance is inspiring. In the future, the College will actively recruit more world-class scholars who have excelled in the field of research, in order to further enhance its research strength and lay a solid foundation for upgrading to a self-financing university.”