The following is issued on behalf of the Commission on Poverty:
 
     The Commission on Poverty today (April 23) invited application for the first-ever "Be a Government Official for a Day" programme under the "Life Buddies" Mentoring Scheme for senior secondary students to shadow a Principal Official (PO).  
      
     The programme, to be held this July and August, will offer the opportunity for selected students to shadow a PO on the job for a day to gain hands-on experience of a PO's work and a better understanding of the Government's operation.
      
     It also aims at providing POs with a chance to share with students their working experience while learning about students' goals and listening to their views and suggestions on different policy issues and Hong Kong's future development. The job shadowing process will also help inspire students to develop positive values, adopt multi-perspective thinking, strive to realise their potential in full and seize opportunities for upward mobility.
      
     "The current-term Government strives to enhance communication with young people.  We will carefully listen and respond to their views and aspirations through different channels, including the novel interesting and inspirational "Be a Government Official for a Day" programme. The programme will enable three Secretaries and 13 Bureau Directors of this term of Government to listen to and understand the feelings and needs of senior secondary students directly. I encourage students to join this programme to seize the invaluable opportunity to interact with POs," the Chief Secretary for Administration and Chairman of the Commission on Poverty, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung said.
      
     An experienced non-governmental organisation has been engaged to arrange an orientation programme for selected students prior to the commencement of the "Be a Government Official for a Day" programme. After completing the programme, debriefing will be arranged for participants to reflect on their experience. A special sharing session under the theme of "Future Planning" will also be held for these young people to speak about their experience gained from the programme and their views about the future.
      
     Application for the programme is open to all Secondary Four and Five students in the 2017/18 academic year. Application forms can be downloaded from www.lifebuddies.hk. Applicants should complete the form, including school recommendation, and email it to lifebuddies@cso.gov.hk on or before May 11, 2018 (Friday).
       
     The "Life Buddies" Mentoring Scheme was launched by the Commission of Poverty (CoP) under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary for Administration in October 2015. It aims at promoting upward mobility of youths from disadvantaged background through school-based mentoring programme and work experience programme.  
      
     To date, the scheme has enlisted the support of over 70 government departments, corporations and organisations and has benefitted over 3 400 students. The "Be a Government Official for a Day" programme is a new initiative launched under "Life Buddies" this year to further broaden students' horizon. Details of "Life Buddies" are available at its website (www.lifebuddies.hk/en) and social network page (www.facebook.com/lifebuddieshk).

Ends/Monday, April 23, 2018
Issued at HKT 11:45

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