Digitization is almost synonymous with competitiveness in the lexicon of 21st century business. Long before the pandemic, companies were well aware of the need to catch up with the onslaught of technology. COVID-19 has in a matter of weeks dramatically accelerated the digital transformation imperative. It has changed not only how people work but also how we shop, eat, move and travel. Physical distancing, remote work, e-commerce, automation of jobs, disruptions to the supply chain have upended how organisations conduct themselves or even the entire business model and the skills we need in the new normal.

Traditionally, many organizations favored instructor-led, classroom-based, face-to-face training. Whilst in-person instruction has many advantages, this option is less suitable for delivering upskilling and reskilling programs at scale in a cost-effective manner, let alone when dealing with a distributed workforce. Covid-19 has accelerated the shift from classroom-based instruction to virtual, hybrid and self-paced learning empowered and supported by technology to provide real time feedback, track engagement and learning. 

Numerous local and international reports have pointed out the need for Hong Kong to build a talent pool to meet the needs of the digital economy. A study by Google HK, for example, showed that 64% of Hong Kong's corporates find it difficult to hire STEM talent. Employers also find it particularly difficult to recruit staff with essential soft skills such as creative and critical thinking. A recent study * by the Hong Kong Productivity Council with 600 employers and employees shows that:

• Nearly 90% of employers would include basic IT knowledge and digital skills as a "must" requirement in job hiring;
• 82% of employee respondents say they will need to upgrade their IT knowledge and digital skills 
• Only 31% of employers think their workforce are equipped with the skill sets to fully adapt to the new normal;
• Only 56% of employers are willing to provide IT and digital related trainings for their staff

*"The Future of Work & Skills Survey", jointly conducted by HKPC and Quokka HR between April and May 2021 to explore the difficulties for Hong Kong enterprises to implement remote work

To make sure that your organization could survive and thrive, business leaders can take six steps to build your workforce skills **.

1.  Rapidly identify the skills your recovery business model depends on

2.  Build employee skills critical to your new business model

3.  Launch tailored learning journeys to close critical skill gaps

4.  Start now, test rapidly and iterate

5.  Act like a small company to have a big impact

6.  Protect learning budgets

** "To emerge stronger from the covid crisis, companies should start reskilling their workforce now," May 202,  Sapana Agrawal, Aaron De Smet​, Sébastien Lacroix​, and Angelika Reich​, McKinsey & Company

Esperanza​ and JobsDB​ are pleased to embark on a one-year journey with 10 employer partners in Hong Kong to reskill and upskill their employees. This pilot programme will:

1. Help employer partners identify their major digital skills gaps
2. Curate a learning manual of online or blended learning courses – free or fee-charging, public or customised -  offered through training providers in the Esperanza and SEEK's (JobsDB's parent company) networks
3. Help employers apply for the Reindustrialistion and Technology Training Programme (RTTP​) funded by the Innovation and Technology Commission for select programmes offered by accredited training providers on a 2:1 matching basis, subject to a ceiling of $500,000 per year

Takeaways for Employer Partners

1. Advisory service on the skills required to meet your organisation's digital transformation agenda
2. A customised manual of training programmes to meet the learning and development needs of staff at all levels of your organisation
3. Free or discounted online learning programmes from the SEEK network of training providers around the world
4. Assistance to apply for the HKSARG's Reindustrialiation and Technology Training Programme (RTTP)
5. Branding opportunities with Esperanza and JobsDB showcasing your organisation as a progressive employer through a video case study, digital marketing and public relations

For queries, please contact Rachel Chan at Rachel.chan@esperanza.life.

Click here to express your interest.

Cybint​ was awarded the best adult learning solution in the Edventures Global Business Acceleration Fellowship organised by Esperanza last year. It is a global cyber education company with a commitment to reskilling the workforce and upskilling the industry in cybersecurity. With innovative and leading-edge education and training solutions, Cybint tackles cybersecurity's two greatest threats: the talent shortage and the skills gap. The Cybint team is comprised of military cyber experts from Israel, industry professionals, and educators united under the vision of creating a safer digital world through education, training, and collaboration. Its Cybersecurity Essentials Workshop at Xccelerate is an 8-hour live training program (remote or in-person) designed to tackle human error by providing your employees with advanced understanding and skills to protect themselves and your organization against the most common cyber threats. This isn't your typical awareness training, but a practical, behavior-modifying learning experience that will reduce risk company-wide.

FutureLearn​ connects people with the world's best online courses from over 110 of the world's leading universities, business schools and specialist organisations. It aims to pioneer the best social learning experiences and can offer customised solutions for organisations looking to create a culture of learning or close a skills gap. Subjects span from digital marketing, data science, to programming, network security, AI & robotics and more. While the learning is 100% online, the courses range in duration and depth, starting from short courses, expert tracks, to full online degrees.

The Go1 ​Content Hub is the largest curated eLearning library from the world's top training providers, available for a single subscription within a company's existing learning platform, or on the Go1 platform itself. You will be able to find the right courses to upskill, re-train, and retain your employees on a wide range of topics such as business and management, computer science and engineering, data & analytics, IT software, networking and security and more. 

Tecky Academy​ is an award-winning, edtech-driven technology academy founded in 2018 Hong Kong. It was awarded the best performing startup in the Reimagine Education Challenge organised by Esperanza in 2019. Tecky Academy provides pragmatic and cutting-edge technology education to help everyone to build their tech career. Unlike traditional tech education that focuses on theories, it uniquely blends multiple pedagogies including online-learning, flex model and immersive model which distinguishes the company from others. Tecky Academy offers MicroMaster in A.I. and Programming (full-time), DevOps Corporate Training (part-time). Data Science with Python (part-time) and Mobile App Dev with Flutter (part-time). It has previously been awarded tailor-made RTTP training on two courses: DevOps Corporate Training and Mobile App Dev with Flutter.

Xccelerate​ was one of the 10 finalists of the 2020 Edventures GBA Fellowship. It works with leading associations, governments and enterprises to achieve digital innovation and transformation by nurturing tech talent and workforce placement that solves their needs. Its unique educational approach has an impressive track record of helping partners create new digital revenue channels, cost savings and boldly move away from business as usual. It has up-skilled 7,500+ professionals across public organizations and fortune 500 companies. All of the Xccelerate courses are delivered in the hybrid mode. It has a large variety of RTTP approved courses. Below are some of the highlighted courses:

• Growth Hacking & Digital Marketing
• Data Analytics Dashboarding Techniques
• Data Science and Machine Learning
• User Experience Design
• User Interface Design
• Introduction to FinTech
• Project Management, Agile & Scrum Master

1. I'm interested! How do I sign up for the "Go Digital" Programme?

Please contact Cecilia Leung at cecilia.leung@esperanza.life if you're interested, and we will schedule a call to understand more about your needs and answer any questions.

2. What is RTTP?

RTTP subsidises local companies on a 2:1 matching basis to train their staff in advanced technologies, especially those related to 'Industry 4.0'. Supported by the Innovation and Technology Fund, the Vocational Training Council (VTC) administers the RTTP and serves as its Secretariat.

Each company is subject to a funding ceiling of HK$500,000 in each financial year at the time of approving the application. For more details, view Q&A from VTC here​.

3. What type of organisation is eligible to apply for RTTP?

A company is eligible to apply for a training grant for its employee(s) if:

1. it is registered in Hong Kong under the Business Registration Ordinance (Cap. 310);
2. it is a non-government and non-subvented organisation; and
3. the employee nominated is a Hong Kong permanent resident with the necessary background/experience relevant to the advanced technology of the training course.

4. Does RTTP apply to all the training partners and courses under the "Go Digital" Programme?

No, not all the training courses are registered Public Courses under RTTP. Tailor-made courses are approved only on a case-by-case basis.

However, training providers like Go1 are providing unique offers (3 months free premium trial + 30% discount for 1st-year subscription) only for employer partners of this programme.

5. How long does it take to approve the funding? What is the approval rate?

For public courses already registered under RTTP, generally 2 weeks. For tailor-made courses, it will take more than 8 weeks in advance.

Approvals for public courses are straightforward given that the registrant fulfils the eligibility criteria (see previous page and VTC Q&A​). Approvals for tailor-made courses are done on a case-by-case basis.

6. Are the training programmes well suited for Hong Kong-based organisations?

"Go Digital" programme training partners, such as, Tecky and Xccelerate (blended learning boot camps) were started in Hong Kong by entrepreneurs who understood the digital and IT needs of businesses in the city. Go1 as a content platform can curate the most relevant content for your organization's training needs and serves organsiations from all around the world.