Over 1,100 internships on the Chinese mainland are available this year to Hong Kong young people under a cross-boundary program providing opportunities in fields such as e-commerce, artificial intelligence and law.

Fifteen leading companies and NGOs, including Kowloon Federation of Associations, Power of Peace, Young Professionals Alliance, Hong Kong Zhongshan Youth Association, etc., are offering roles in six mainland cities as part of the 2024 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Hong Kong Youth Internship Scheme. The internships each last three to eight weeks and are open to 18 to 30 year olds.

Tsui, also the non-official member of Youth Development Commission, hopes the program will provide Hong Kong interns with valuable experience and facilitate exchanges between young people in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao

At Thursday’s launch ceremony, program convener James Tsui Siu-lung said the scheme has helped young people gain work experience, enhance networking skills and find a career path in the five times it has been held since 2015.

READ MORE: 1,400 students apply for corporate internship program

With the support of local authorities, the program this year is providing 1,158 positions across the GBA cities of Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhongshan, Foshan, Zhuhai and Jiangmen, Tsui said.

Roles include several in Shenzhen operating accounts on social media platforms such as Weixin, Weibo and Xiaohongshu. Hong Kong students will learn how to write articles and produce videos during internships at these platforms, Tsui added.

Tsui, also the non-official member of Youth Development Commission, hopes the program will provide Hong Kong interns with valuable experience and facilitate exchanges between young people in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.

Also at the event, Clarence Leung Wang-ching, undersecretary for home and youth affairs, said the internship program shares the same mission as the government’s Youth Development Blueprint 2022 — to enhance understanding among Hong Kong young people  about their country through cross-boundary exchanges and internship.

Leung called on Hong Kong students to seize this rare opportunity and participate in the future development of their country and city.

Stephanie Wong Wing-yin, a third-year undergraduate student from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, will go to Guangzhou for an internship in July.

Noting the benefits he derived from last year’s internship, Tsui said the program helps him think about career paths after graduation, adding Guangzhou would be a potential destination for him

Wong told China Daily that she has seen the development in GBA and would consider working in its mainland cities. She pledged to take full advantage of the month-long internship to immerse herself in local life and learn the differences between Guangzhou and Hong Kong.

READ MORE: 1,000 HK students set for mainland summer internships

Ken Tsui Wing-lam from the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, also a third-year undergraduate student, is participating in the program for the second time.

Noting the benefits he derived from last year’s internship, Tsui said the program helps him think about career paths after graduation, adding Guangzhou would be a potential destination for him.

Meanwhile, to better promote youth development programs, the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau launched the “HKYouth+” mobile application on Mar 28 to help young people explore different opportunities and activities based on their needs and interests.

Contact the writer at atlasshao@chinadailyhk.com