The Hong Kong Jockey Club announced today (15 December) the launch of PROcruit C, a talent matching and development initiative for fresh graduates seeking jobs amid the ongoing pandemic, to nurture caring and motivated talent for the community.

With approved funding of HK$52.74 million from the Club's Charities Trust, the initiative will collaborate with over 100 employers from four major sectors to create 400 trainee positions for degree or sub-degree first-time jobseekers. It aims to boost first-time jobseekers' readiness for their first jobs with soft and professional skills in 21st century workplace and help their professional career development in four emerging areas: Creativity for Good; Technology for Good; Business for Good; and Healthcare for Good. These will encompass promising job roles such as transmedia content creators, associate artists in early childhood education and wellness planners. 

"The 'C' in PROcruit C stands for caring, which remains key to many professions despite automation and digitalisation. To address the new needs emerging from an evolving society, we are delighted to develop new job roles and career pathways with a group of forward-looking partners from various sectors to achieve win-win outcomes," said the Club's Executive Director, Charities and Community, Leong Cheung.

"Even with a grim economic backdrop, opportunities exist as industries adapt to society's changing needs. Through this initiative, the Club aims to contribute to our city's recovery and resilience," he added.

The new initiative brings the Club's total approved funding for COVID-19 relief initiatives to over HK$650 million. The Club's community contributions have been made possible by the continuation of racing throughout the COVID-19 pandemic with tight safety protocols, and by its integrated business model comprising racing and racecourse entertainment, a membership club, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and charities and community contribution.

PROcruit C will guide applicants to apply for job roles that best match their VASK (values, attitudes, skills and knowledge) across 12 professions. This approach enables employers to go beyond qualifications when offering job positions to fresh graduates.

An online briefing session was held yesterday which attracted more than 300 people. A total of 400 first-time jobseekers will be recruited in three cohorts and begin their 12-month traineeship in the first half of 2021. Recruitment of the first cohort has started and will last until 3 January 2021.

Successful applicants will be offered a 12-month employment contract, over 100 hours of training and coaching, as well as networking opportunities. The programme will also offer a two-week onboarding training programme which emphasises skills essential in the new economy and profession-specific skills to be taught by industry experts and trainers.

PROcruit C's industry conveners are: Good Lab, The Hong Kong Council of Social Service, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks, New Life Rehabilitation Association, Po Leung Kuk and the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals. Its education and training partners are: Caritas Institute of Community Education, Generation Hong Kong, Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies at The Chinese University of Hong Kong and Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford.  PROcruit C is also supported by IBM, JobsDB, LinkedIn and Microsoft.

Graduates of 2018/2019 and 2019/20 who are degree or sub-degree holders and first-time jobseekers may obtain further details about PROcruit C at https://www.procruitc.hk/en.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class racing club that acts continuously for the betterment of our society. The Club has a unique integrated business model, comprising racing and racecourse entertainment, a membership club, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and charities and community contribution. Through this model, the Club generates economic and social value for the community and supports the Government in combatting illegal gambling. In 2019/20, the Club contributed HK$19.9 billion in duty and profits tax and HK$0.8 billion to the Lotteries Fund. Approved charity donations were HK$4.5 billion. The Club is Hong Kong's largest single taxpayer and one of the city's major employers. Its Charities Trust is also one of the world's top ten charity donors. The Club is always "riding high together for a better future" with the people of Hong Kong.