The findings of a survey released yesterday show that 42 percent of current local university students only have a “low” or “very low” desire to develop their careers in the Guangdong-Macau In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin after graduating, while only 16.8 percent have a “high” or “very high” desire to pursue their careers there.
The survey was jointly carried out by the Macau General Association of Chinese Students and the Macau Youth Research Association.
The Macau General Association of Chinese Students is colloquially known as Hok Luen in Cantonese.
Three Hok Luen representatives announced the survey’s findings during a press conference at one of the association’s offices, at an industrial building near the Red Market.
According to the representatives, 405 local residents currently enrolled in local higher education institutions responded to the survey, which was carried out between July 1 and 10.
According to the findings, only 15 percent of the respondents said they “believe” or “strongly believe” that the in-depth cooperation zone in Hengqin has good development prospects.
The findings also show that being unfamiliar with the in-depth cooperation zone’s employment market and regulations, as well as its perceived “insufficient” salaries, were the two biggest factors discouraging the respondents from pursuing their careers there.
According to the findings, its relatively low living cost and good development prospects were the two biggest factors chosen by the respondents that would encourage them to develop their careers in the zone.
Moreover, the findings also show that 63 percent of the respondents said that they did not know anything about the zone’s latest regulations aiming to promote its development.
In addition, the findings also show that 20 percent of the respondents said they did not believe that there was a wide range of jobs available for them to choose from in the zone.
The representatives urged the local government to launch more internship programmes in the in-depth cooperation zone for local university students and also to organise more fact-finding trips to the zone for them.
Three representatives from the Macau General Association of Chinese Students, (from left to right) Lai Kin Man, Mio Man Lap, and Chan Kin Man, pose during yesterday’s press conference on the findings of a survey about local university students’ desire to pursue careers in Hengqin. – Photo: MPDG
