Hong Kong’s Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme recruits young university graduates to work across the border, but few are signing up. Photo: ShutterstockDeep Dive delves into hot issues in Hong Kong and mainland China. Our easy-to-read articles provide context to grasp what’s happening, while our questions help you craft informed responses. Check sample answers at the end of the page.
News: Young Hongkongers struggle to adjust to work in mainland China
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Hong Kong’s Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme allows young university graduates to work across the border
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Though the cost of living is lower, issues like long working hours and high client expectations cause problems
Business administration graduate Tin Lau Tin-yat did not think twice about working in mainland China under Hong Kong’s Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme.
The programme allows young Hongkongers with at least a bachelor’s degree to work in the Greater Bay Area. They can stay for up to 18 months, earning no less than HK$18,000 (US$2,310) a month.
“The good thing about this programme is that with the same salary I may earn in Hong Kong, I can have a very good quality of life on the mainland,” he said.
At first, Lau found it hard to cope with the work culture on the mainland. He landed in hot water at a tech company in Shenzhen when he called a client by his first name during a meeting. His supervisor was surprised.
“After we returned to the office, he reminded me to be more careful when addressing clients,” Lau said.
Still, he had no regrets about joining the scheme, thanks to the lower cost of living and career prospects.
Others described similar experiences learning to fit in and adjusting to the fast pace and long hours.
Pan Zhou, 29, resigned from his previous job in Hong Kong to become a marketing assistant officer for utilities company Towngas. He did so when the youth employment scheme was launched as a pilot programme in 2021.
Zhou handled the company’s social media pages and websites alongside his mainland colleagues. He was surprised by their efficiency.
“These people were also working from 9am to 6pm like me, but they were able to do much more,” he recalled. He decided to remain on the mainland at the end of his 18-month stint.
Chi Chung-chun was born in Hong Kong and began working as a lawyer in Guangzhou under the 2021 pilot scheme. He had visited the city regularly since childhood. This meant he had little difficulty adjusting to life there.
However, it took him a while to get used to the long working hours, rigid hierarchy of the legal profession, and clients’ high expectations.
“It’s backbreakingly tough working on the mainland,” said Chi, now 31. “I’d be at the beck and call of my superiors and clients round the clock.”
He grew in his career, but at a cost. He said he had 14-hour work days. He was also once scolded for wanting to leave dinner with government officials before the main guests had finished eating.
Chung said he did not like mainland Chinese work culture and hoped to return to Hong Kong.
Staff writers
Question prompts
1. Which of the following is true, based on the news?
(1) Zhou was surprised at how inefficient mainland employees at Towngas were.
(2) Hongkongers under the scheme earn no more than HK$18,000 per month.
(3) Chi was put off by the long hours and tough working culture on the mainland.
(4) Zhou decided to stay in mainland China after finishing his work under the scheme.
A. (1), (3) only
B. (2), (3) only
C. (1), (4) only
D. (3), (4) only
2. Using the news, name THREE changes Hongkongers had to make while working in mainland China.
3. Name TWO advantages of this scheme, as mentioned by participants.
Cartoon
Question prompts
1. What is being depicted in the cartoon?
2. How does this cartoon relate to the experiences of Hongkongers in the Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme?
Glossary
cost of living: the amount of money needed for basic expenses for a certain standard of living relative to a location
pilot programme: a test or trial of a project, programme, or service. It offers a chance to evaluate potential issues and refine a project before its official launch.
hierarchy: a system in which members of an organisation, business or society are ranked according to their status or authority.
beck and call: when you must always be ready to obey somebody’s orders
Sample answers
News
1. D
2. Lau had to adjust to the different work culture, including how he addressed clients. Meanwhile, Chi struggled to adapt to long work hours, hierarchical office structure and high expectations from bosses. (accept all reasonable answers)
3. This scheme offers a good quality of life and a lower cost of living. Participants make a Hong Kong salary but live on the mainland, where the cost of living is cheaper. It helps them expand and explore their career prospects, offers a steady job and paycheck, and exposes them to a new work culture and environment.
Cartoon
1. This cartoon shows a confused white-collar worker watching other white-collar workers running around and looking very busy. They are following arrows representing elements that come with work, such as creativity, goals, stress, and profits. The man in the middle is confused about which arrow to follow.
2. It shows how Hongkongers in the Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme try to adjust to mainland work culture and lack guidance about the best path forward, while others seem to have already adjusted.