Broad talent pool

Broad talent pool  needed for economic diversification, official says

2013-5-29

From：Macau Daily Times

The government continued to defend its policy of allowing non-
local students to stay and work in Macau. Lao Pun Lap, Coordinator of the Macau SAR Policy Research Office was on the TDM morning talk show recently to address the public’s concern that the plan may affect local college graduates’ employment chances and working conditions.
The official said Macau has to build up a talent pool before it can achieve its target of economic diversification. He said although the city has some 3000 students studying in tertiary institutions, 60% of the otherwise exceptional students are doing courses related to tourism and MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) and it’s the government’s duty to discover whether  these future graduates can match Macau’s economic development. He said every sector needs skilled workers, although the definition of skilled is rather broad. He stressed that the government has been pushing for the certification of many different professions and has successfully established a certification system for architects and those within the medical profession.
He reiterated that the possible work permission for foreign students who have graduated from local universities is not related to residency or the ‘right of abode’ and is not another form of foreign labor importation. Instead, it is part of the ongoing initiative to attract talented people to the city. Lao stressed there is not yet a final decision on the issue and the authority will introduce a set of standards and regulations to ensure high transparency in the application and approval mechanism.
Meanwhile, a protest led by the Macau Workers’ Self-Support Association against the Macao Chamber of Commerce (ACM) took place in front of the ACM building yesterday afternoon. The protest was against the ACM’s advocacy of the absorption of non-local graduates into the workforce in Macau. Fourteen protesters representing five local worker groups broke five bowls with a wrench during the protest, symbolizing that allowing non-local graduates to work in Macau equates to snatching job opportunities from the local youths.
The protesters also delivered a petition letter to the President of ACM, Ma Iao Lai, in which their “strong dissatisfaction with the President’s comments” was stressed. “President Ma’s advocacy is only for the business community’s interests but is against the public opinion. This demand by local businessmen including the businessman-come-lawmaker, Lau Veng Seng, only aims for cheap labor which neglects local people’s job opportunities,” said the letter. “We urge your excellency to stop betraying local people.”
“Last Friday, Ma Iao Lai’s comments appeared in the press, in which he indicated four benefits from absorbing non-local students to work here. We strongly oppose his opinion,” Cheong Weng Fai, the protest leader told the Times. “Although Chui Sai On and Francis Tam have promised that the possibility to allow non-local students to work wouldn’t lead to residency, we’re still worried. (…) Two decades ago, Ma Man Kei [former president of ACM]’s initiative introduced the first batch of immigrant workers to Macau. So we fear this advocacy of ACM may affect the future.” SC

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