Cathay Pacific Group partners with Vocational Training Council to nurture talent

The Cathay Pacific Group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with  the Vocational Training Council (VTC) of Hong Kong to jointly nurture a new  generation of talent as the aviation industry’s growth picks up in the lead up to the  completion of the Three-Runway System in Hong Kong.

The MoU Signing Ceremony was held at the Tsing Yi campus of the Hong Kong  Institute of Vocational Education (IVE), a member institution of the VTC. Witnessed  by Under Secretary for Transport and Logistics Liu Chun-san, Cathay Pacific  Group Chief Executive Officer Ronald Lam and VTC Executive Director Donald  Tong, the MoU was signed by Cathay Pacific Director People Patricia Hwang and  VTC Deputy Executive Director Alaina Shum.

The Group’s participating companies include: Cathay Pacific, HK Express, Air Hong  Kong, Cathay Pacific Services Limited – which operates the Cathay Pacific Cargo  Terminal – Cathay Pacific Catering Services (H.K.) Limited, Hong Kong Airport  Services Limited and Vogue Laundry Service Limited.

Liu Chun-san, Under Secretary for Transport and Logistics remarked that the  pandemic has put the aviation industry on a bumpy flight over the past few years.  But like planes flying out of an air turbulence, Hong Kong International Airport has  been filling up again, and airlines have been flying to new destinations daily as the  pandemic receded. Numerous exciting developments in our aviation scene have  been also unfolding, including the Three-Runway System which would significantly  increase our airport’s handling capacity.

He said the cooperation between the Cathay Pacific Group and VTC was a very  timely one to provide new talents to power our aviation industry through recovery  and beyond. Cathay Pacific is a world-class airline well-known for its high quality  service. VTC, on the other hand, has been a beacon of success in training our  stewards of the sky by offering a broad range of courses covering aircraft  engineering, aviation and logistics, aviation services and inflight and passenger  services.

Liu pointed out that the join-hand of the Cathay Pacific Group and VTC would  further enhance the VTC’s training facilities and career support for students by the  Group. Some elements of the Group’s cabin crew training would also be integrated  into the VTC’s curriculum, thereby equipping students with practical industry  knowledge that would prepare them even better for their future career.

Cathay Pacific Group chief executive officer Ronald Lam said: “As Hong Kong’s  home airline, we are committed to continuing to invest in young local talent and the  long-term development of the Hong Kong aviation hub. The collaboration with VTC  provides a sound foundation for the talent supply chain in the aviation industry. We  look forward to welcoming students with a passion for joining the aviation industry  and becoming part of the Cathay Pacific Group upon graduation.

Donald Tong, VTC executive director remarked that MoU signing this time set a  new milestone of the collaboration between the VTC and the Cathay Pacific Group  in jointly grooming a new generation of aviation talents. Through the integration of  the cabin crew training programme of Cathay Pacific and HK Express into VTC’s  Higher Diploma programme, students could be given expanded learning  opportunities to hone their professional knowledge and skills. The provision of  student internships and project-based learning opportunities including inflight menu planning and design, as well as the CSR projects by the Cathay Pacific Group  would also benefit students from other VTC’s member institutions, namely the  Chinese Culinary Institute and the International Culinary Institute, as well as  trainees of Shine Skills Centre and the VTC Social Enterprises.

Through the collaboration, the Group’s training programmes and materials,  student internships and collaboration on project-based learning will be integrated  into VTC’s programme curriculum to help strengthen the learning experience for  students of different disciplines.

The Group will also provide a series of life-planning activities, including mock-up  interviews and career talks to introduce the career prospects in the aviation  industry to VTC students. Graduates who achieve an outstanding performance will  also be nominated to full-time job interviews, capturing opportunities in advance  to join the industry.

The Cathay Pacific Group and VTC share the common vision of cultivating aviation  talent and providing more a diversified learning experience to students. This MoU  further enriches the VTC’s curriculum of the Higher Diploma in Aviation Inflight and  Passenger Services programme by incorporating professional training materials  from the Cathay Pacific Group, including cabin crew training.

In addition, the Group will further actively explore the integration of innovative  technologies into the programme, including applying Virtual Reality (VR)  technology for service training and safety training for cabin crew. This brand-new  teaching approach will give students a more comprehensive understanding of  the actual working environment and situations they would encounter working in  the industry.