OREANDA-NEWS. The Airport Authority (AA) and the Labour Department (LD) today launched the "Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) Job Expo 2014", a three-day event organised to facilitate the continuous growth of Hong Kong's aviation industry. The Expo, which is supported by the Aircraft Division of Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Vocational Training Council, is being held at Hall 3E of Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from 4:00pm to 8:00pm today and 11:00am to 6:00pm on 14 and 15 June.

This is the third year that the Expo has been held, and more than 6,500 career opportunities will be offered by over 50 companies across the airport and aviation community. Vacancies include jobs in cabin service, aircraft maintenance, air cargo, airport security, construction engineering, baggage handling, cleaning, retail sales and much more. Junior-level and low-skill positions comprise 60% of available jobs, with many only requiring a primary educational level and some open to those without any work experience. A number of companies will host onsite interviews, and some are hosting career talks that will be open to all job seekers and public at the Expo.

Today's opening was commemorated by a ceremony officiated by Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, Secretary for Transport and Housing, Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, Secretary for Labour and Welfare, and Stanley Hui Hon-chung, Chief Executive Officer of the AA.

Speaking at the event, Professor Cheung said, "HKIA is a valuable asset and international brand of Hong Kong. Facing fierce competition from other international aviation hubs, HKIA is now working on expanding its capacity and planning ahead for the three-runway system. Apart from meeting the growing aviation demand, implementing the third-runway system can bring enormous economic benefits for logistics, tourism and retail industries. Moreover, it will bring further development chances for all related industries on the airport island, from aviation engineers, aircraft repair technicians, air traffic controllers, baggage handling agents to all kinds of service staff in the airport and airlines."

"The aviation industry of Hong Kong has a bright prospect. To support the manpower development of maritime and aviation industries, the Government launched a HKD 100 million "Maritime and Aviation Training Fund" on 1 April this year. The fund aims to sustain and enhance the existing training and scholarships schemes in the next five years, as well as to launch a series of new initiatives for enhancing the professional standard of practitioners and attracting young generations to join the maritime and aviation industries," Professor Cheung added.

Mr Matthew Cheung said, "I am confident that the aviation and related industries in Hong Kong will continue to grow and job seekers shall not lose sight of that. The LD has been working closely with the aviation industry and training bodies to provide employment support and training for young people aged between 15 to 24 under the Youth Employment and Training Programme. Today’s Job Expo is also one of the highlights of a "Career GPS" programme launched by LD this year to help secondary school fresh graduates finding jobs."

Mr Stanley Hui said, "The Expo presents job seekers with a wide range of career opportunities in a booming industry, and it provides our business partners with an excellent opportunity to attract talents that can support their growth. Also, traffic volumes at HKIA are increasing faster than the forecasts, so the airport is undergoing a series of medium- to long-term expansions – including the midfield concourse, apron developments and proposed three-runway system – to help Hong Kong meet future demand for aviation services. These projects are creating even more job opportunities."

The Expo also comprises an exhibition area showcasing the history and future development of HKIA, as well as the many green technologies being adopted for airport operations. These include LED lights for runways, biodiesel fuel for airside vehicles and fish food made from food waste collected in the airport.