“The biggest problem is to turn [the strategy] into substantial policies … it will depend on whether the Youth Development Commission will be able to motivate different government departments,” To, an associate professor at Chinese University specialising in youth development, said.

But one of those consulted during the study criticised it as superficial and unrepresentative.

Naomi Ho Sze-wai, youth organiser of Youth Policy Advocators, a concern group that was one of 105 groups consulted during the strategy’s formulation, said: “Its recommendations are not based on bottom-to-top consultations, but largely following and endorsing the government’s policies. We are disappointed.”

She said the consultation meetings were “just shows”.

Xi Jinping urges Hong Kong’s youth to read, travel and learn about the country

According to the report, the key parts of a “holistic youth development strategy” are education, career pursuit, housing and financial independence, health, whole-person development, and civic participation.

The paper recommended that the new commission identify and address the causes of excessive pressure on students, create a diverse labour market by developing emerging industries, provide alternative accommodation options such as youth hostels, strengthen resilience in younger people, and establish multiple channels for their voices to be heard.

Both Ho and the city’s welfare sector legislator Shiu Ka-chun said the strategy fell short of giving an analysis of or solutions to two pressing issues – youth poverty due to rising education costs and stagnant salaries, and youth citizenship undermined by limited political participation.

Shiu said: “The report emphasises improving individual capabilities – in terms of finding jobs and buying a house – as if those who are more capable can better participate in politics naturally. But in fact, the existing political system has been excluding young people with dissident views.”

Lau Tsz-kei, student union president at Baptist University, said the strategy did not boost his confidence in the government.

“We can’t even exercise our rights to elect a lawmaker representing our voice – how can we believe that the government really cares about our ideas and participation?” Lau said.

However To said that instead of focusing on specific solutions, more attention should be paid to the vision raised by the strategy – namely, “to provide an enabling environment” for the younger generation to succeed with their talents.

“The vision seems most important to me because fundamentally society needs to change its systems and mentality that blames the youth for their difficulties in areas such as education and home ownership,” To said.

The social work scholar also called on the government to compile a set of indicators to track and measure its youth policies. “One of the indicators can be median income of the youth but that’s far from enough. We must tailor-make an integrated measurement according to the policies’ goals,” To said.

In 2016, Hong Kong had 773,100 people aged between 15 and 24, accounting for 11 per cent of the population. As measured from May to June that year, the median wage for the age group was HK$11,900.

A spokesman for the Home Affairs Bureau said the Commission on Youth had recommended the Youth Development Commission “give priority to discussing issues that have cross-bureau implications”. The Commission on Youth will close down on March 31.