STEM Internship Scheme attracts wide support from universities and business community
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According to the findings of the surveys conducted by participating universities (see Annex), most students upon completion of their internship have gained a better understanding of the innovation and technology (I&T) field and will consider pursuing their careers in I&T in the future. A majority of the participating employers considered that the job performance of their interns had met or even exceeded their expectations and plan to join the Scheme again.
Participating companies are mostly small and medium-sized enterprises or start-ups from various business sectors, including information technology, biotechnology, electrical and electronic engineering, professional services and environmental protection. The internship positions offered cover various I&T elements, such as programme coding, web design, big data analytics, machine learning, robotics, artificial intelligence, electronic engineering, digital marketing, biotechnology and food technology.
Participating universities found that the Scheme had helped generate more I&T-related internship places, offering students the opportunity to apply their STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) knowledge in the workplace and understand the I&T culture and work environment at an early stage. In view of the popularity and effectiveness of the Scheme, most of the participating universities have planned to continue to run the Scheme in winter this year.
"The STEM Internship Scheme aims to encourage students to experience I&T-related work and foster their interest in an I&T career in the future. It provides students with internship opportunities and assists companies in recruiting suitable I&T talents. It supports the nurturing of new blood in I&T, thereby enlarging the local I&T talent pool. We look forward to participation from more students and employers in the Scheme," the spokesman for the Innovation and Technology Commission said.
The STEM Internship Scheme provides university students in STEM disciplines with internships of at least four consecutive weeks with a monthly allowance of $10,500 for up to three months in every academic year. To enhance the flexibility of the Scheme for covering a broad spectrum of business sectors, an internship place is regarded as I&T-related as long as its actual work contains I&T elements. Interested students and employers may contact the participating universities. Details of the Scheme are available at the website of the Innovation and Technology Fund (www.itf.gov.hk/en/funding-programmes/nurturing-talent/stem-internship-scheme/).
Ends/Tuesday, November 17, 2020
Issued at HKT 11:30
Issued at HKT 11:30
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