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Youth Development

CLAP for Youth @ JC Conference aims to help augment professional capacity in career and life planning
07/07/2015

Today (7 July) The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust (The Club) hosted a Conference on Evidence-Based Practices in Life Planning Education and Career Guidance in collaboration with The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University and the Hong Kong Association of Careers Masters and Guidance Masters. Professor Norman Gysbers, Curators’ Distinguished Professor in the Department of Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology at the University of Missouri, shared his experiences in career and life planning with nearly 360 educators and social workers at the event. The conference received an overwhelming response and offered attendees new insights and best practice examples.

The event was officially inaugurated by Mr. Eddie Ng Hak-kim, Secretary for Education, and Mr. Leong Cheung, Executive Director of Charities and Community. Mr. Ng expressed special thanks to the Hong Kong Jockey Club for its generous sponsorship as well as to CLAP for Youth @ JC for its initiatives.

"The Education Bureau has all along been working in close collaboration with schools, various organisations and business partners in building the synergy for developing life planning education and career guidance for young people in Hong Kong," he said.

Mr. Cheung believed the conference would be instrumental in taking “CLAP for Youth @ JC” to the next level. “This event is a key milestone for us, especially in helping to further augment the professional capacity of the education and welfare sector in career and life planning. We are honoured to have with us some of the world’s most distinguished scholars in the field to share how evidence-based practices can be developed to improve support and guidance for the youth in various contexts. Featuring a series of theme talks, forums and workshops, this conference will be an excellent learning platform for teachers, social workers and NGOs in the community to discuss ideas and best practice with global experts in career and life planning. “We hope that this forum will be instrumental in progressively shaping the paradigm of career guidance and life planning education in schools and the community,” he said.

Career and life planning expert Professor Gysbers shared his experiences in the practice of career and life planning in the United States. He indicated that American academia, following the medical principle of evidence-based practice, has developed a “tailor-made” career and life planning trilogy.

  • First, problem description: This involves defining the direction of the planning for the individual concerned with an understanding of what needs to be addressed
  • Second, outcome research use: This means to choose a potential planning scheme with an insight into what is likely to work
  • Third, evaluation or knowing if the planning scheme has made a difference to the individual.

  • Professor Gysbers emphasised that through an ongoing cycle of implementation and constant examination, evidence-based practice would yield better outcomes for young people embarking on life as productive members of society.

    Professor Alvin Leung, Dean of Education, CUHK and Chief Principal Investigator of “CLAP for Youth @ JC”, hosted an afternoon forum on cross-sectoral support for the youth including best practice and case studies. Guest speakers included Dr. Philemon Choi, Founder of Breakthrough and Member of the Advisory Committee of “CLAP for Youth @ JC”, Mr Lau Ming Wai, Chairman of Commission on Youth, and many more distinguished industry participants.