Social News
Author: Guo Xiaoqing
2020-08-12 15:04
Last update date: 2020-08-12 15:04There is a chronic shortage of medical service staff in Hong Kong, especially among professional therapists. Since 2012, the Social Welfare Department has launched a training subsidy program with the Polytechnic University to provide full tuition subsidies to students admitted by non-governmental organizations to improve the shortage of staff in social welfare institutions .
PolyU will continue to implement the plan from 2021 to 2023, offering a two-year full-time Master of Occupational Therapy and Master of Physiotherapy courses. Successful students will need to serve three consecutive years in selected social welfare institutions after graduation. The program has funded more than 250 students in the past four sessions, and about 65 percent of the graduates are currently working in social welfare institutions.
Professor Tsang Wing-kang, Chair Professor and Head of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences at PolyU, described the course as an intensive course, completing a master’s course equivalent to a four-year bachelor’s qualification within two years, including more than 1,000 hours of internship. Registering as an occupational therapist or physical therapist is believed to help increase the manpower of the social welfare sector in a short time.
The number of applicants for the two courses has increased every year since the four courses were opened. The average number of competitors has increased from 3 to 12. Last year, more than 400 applicants enrolled in the courses. This year, 48 degrees will be offered each, and the total tuition fee for the two-year course will be 640,000. Eligible students will receive full mathematics subsidy. After students are admitted to PolyU, they can select relevant social welfare organizations according to their own wishes. Social welfare organizations usually select students based on their ability and interview results. If students are accepted by social welfare organizations and promise to work in the organization for three years after graduation, they can Social welfare organizations apply for funding. According to the practice of graduates in previous years, students need to pay the first instalment of about 100,000 yuan of tuition by themselves. After successfully applying for the subsidy, they will be reimbursed for the relevant funds, and there is no need to pay the tuition after the first instalment.
The aging population in Hong Kong continues, and there is a strong demand for physiotherapy and occupational therapy talents in the future. (Profile picture/Photo by Zheng Zifeng)
Mr. Ouyang Weikang, Chief Executive Officer of Heep Hong Society, said that organizations mainly provide children’s pre-school rehabilitation services. It is difficult for social welfare organizations to recruit professional therapists. The salary and benefits of education departments and the Hospital Authority are better than those of social welfare organizations. Competitiveness is lower than that of the two, and it is usually the last batch of graduates to be recruited. Therefore, the project is welcome to continue. Heep Hong Society has participated in this program since the first session. There are currently more than 40 physiotherapists and more than 60 occupational therapists. There is still a need for manpower in the future. It is expected that 6 physiotherapists and 5 to 6 occupations will be hired this year. therapist.
Courses help students obtain relevant qualifications in a short time
Ms. Wang Junxian, the first graduate of the Master of Physiotherapy, studied for a Bachelor of Physiotherapy in Taiwan and worked in Physiotherapy in Macau. She said that the course helped her obtain qualifications recognized by Hong Kong and joined Heep Hong Society after graduation. The third graduate of Occupational Therapy, Mr. Li Liangbang, has a double bachelor's degree in counseling and psychology. After graduation, he joined the Anglican Welfare Association. He believes that the course will help students obtain relevant qualifications in a short period of time, and thousands of hours of study The number of hours can enrich students' experience. He believes that there is a great demand for talents in various social welfare sectors, especially residential homes for the elderly, pre-school children, and district health services.
Professor Tsang added that applicants must hold a bachelor's degree and have taken courses in human physiology and anatomy. If the bachelor's degree does not take relevant courses, other channels such as online courses can meet the requirements. The scoring system and interview results are taken into consideration when enrolling students. Priority will be given to those who have taken psychology, nutrition or kinesiology and other medical-related courses. The interview depends on the student's enthusiasm for the relevant industry. The course will be accepted for registration from today (12th), and the course will start in January 2021.
