St James’ Settlement and Standard Chartered Foundation launch job matching platform

Publish Date: 24-Nov-2020

To support youth employment and help Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) weather the difficult time, St. James’ Settlement and the Standard Chartered Foundation jointly launched the “Futuremakers’ First Job” youth employment and subsidy programme, which offers 50 per cent subsidy to SMEs in various sectors, which offer full-time or short-term job vacancies. Through the brand new job-matching mobile application, the programme helps DSE, post-secondary and university graduates of the current year to land a suitable job. This programme is funded by the Standard Chartered Foundation, and is one of the projects introduced by the Standard Chartered’s US$50 million COVID-19 Global Assistance Fund, which aims to support economic recovery across different communities.

Mary Huen, Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered, Hong Kong, said that she hoped the programme would subsidize 100 SMEs, who would offer over 600 short-term independent job vacancies providing employment and training for some 400 young people. She added that since businesses offered fewer long-term full-time jobs and that more young people preferred flexible employment, the programme would help promote the ‘gig economy’ and create a win-win solution for both parties.

Josephine Lee, Chief Executive Officer of St James’ Settlement, was grateful for the Standard Chartered’s generosity. She said that a young person’s first job is especially important to graduates as it helps them to acquire work ethics and soft skills such as communication techniques and teamwork, which will equip them for their future career development.