Hong Kong Education Chief Rejects Final-Year Internships Proposal Amid AI Job Fears

Hong Kong’s education minister has shot down a suggestion to turn the final stretch of undergraduate degree programmes into an internship period, as entry-level jobs fall amid the rise of artificial intelligence (AI).

Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin said on Wednesday that university courses should not be changed solely to meet manpower needs.

She was responding to lawmaker Priscilla Leung Mei-fun’s question about reforming four-year bachelor’s degree programmes.

Leung asked whether authorities could convert the final year into an internship year so students could enter the workforce earlier.

Why the proposal was raised

The question came against a fall in entry-level jobs amid the rise of AI.

The proposed internship period was presented as a way to boost employability while allowing students to enter the workforce earlier.

Choi’s response

Choi also said university courses should not be based on single indicators such as labour market supply and demand data.

Her warning addressed the concern that university education could be turned into vocational training solely to meet short-term job market needs.

The response rejected changing the structure of four-year bachelor’s degree programmes solely in response to manpower requirements or labour-market data.

Source: South China Morning Post