Jockey Club and Ya'an HKJC Vocational College jointly set up talent training base

09/02/2014

The Hong Kong Jockey Club and Ya'an HKJC Vocational College in Sichuan Province, officially signeda framework agreement on co-operation today (2 September) for the nurturing of vocational talent on the Mainland. Club Chairman T. Brian Stevenson told guests at a plaque unveiling ceremony for the College that under the agreement, Beijing Hong Kong Jockey Club Clubhouse (BJCH) and the College would co-operate for the first time in the setting-up of a talent training and internship base.

In the wake of the Sichuan earthquake in 2008, the Club pledged HK$1 billion towards seven reconstruction projects in the province, including the reconstruction of Ya'an College which specialised in vocational training. As the College campus was badly damaged in the earthquake, the Club donated over RMB103 million in total to its reconstruction in an effort to help the resumption of its operations as soon as possible. The project included the construction of student hostels, a library complex, a training building and sports facilities. All of the construction work has now been completed.

Officiating guests at today’s ceremony included Mr Stevenson, the Club's Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Executive Director of Corporate Affairs Kim Mak, Executive Director of Membership Services Billy Chen and Executive Director of Charities and Community Cheung Leong; Vice-Inspector of Sichuan Development and Reform Commission Liu Yuan and General Secretary of the College Zhang Dakai. They witnessed the Club and the College sign a framework agreement on co-operation, followed by an agreement between BJCH and the College on the setting-up of a talent training base.

Under this framework agreement, a vocational training base will be formed by the College and BJCH to provide College students with internship and employment opportunities at BJCH.

In addition, the College will roll out a three-year course for outstanding students, providing speciality training that caters to the needs of BJCH with a tailor-made curriculum and quality standards. Students enrolled in this course will receive training at the College for the first two years of study, then undergo internship at BJCH and complete other training courses in the third year. The launch of the course will benefit both the Club and the College, as it extends and deepens the Club’s support for the reconstruction, while strengthening the College’s competitiveness and giving its students more opportunities for career development. At the same time, BJCH will deploy some of its managers and seasoned professionals to the College to give thematic talks or skill workshops to the students.

“The formulation of this sustainable mechanism of co-operation means a lot more than simply providing resources to build hardware for the College,” Mr Stevenson told guests at the ceremony. “More importantly, we want to have an ongoing relationship and create opportunities for young people who are educated under the name of our school.”

When committing to its reconstruction projects, the Club considered the sustainability of each proposal, Mr Stevenson explained. “Our co-operation with Ya'an Vocational College has shown itself to be a fine example of a sustainable platform for training students. The signing of this agreement today will add new impetus to the partnership between the Club and the College, as well as to the sustainability of the College.”

Vice Mayor of Ya'an City Xu Xu sang praises for this Club-supported initiative, highlighting its important role in such areas as the nurturing of talent, the provision of community services and the co-operative exchange of skills between the two parties. She also expressed the Ya'an Government's gratitude to the Club for its long-standing support to the College, saying she hoped the Club and the College could extend the reconstruction projects to nurture more talent with practical skills for Ya'an’s economic development, based on this long-term mechanism of co-operation.

The Club’s delegation also visited Deyang HKJC No. 5 Middle School for the first time since its Club-funded reconstruction was completed, joining its new term commencement ceremony yesterday morning (1 September). The same afternoon they went on to another Club-funded project, the Sichuan University–Hong Kong Polytechnic University Institute for Disaster Management and Reconstruction, where they exchanged views with teachers and students on various topics including the students’ learning and the Institute’s facilities and development.

During a meeting with the Club’s delegation, President of Sichuan University Xie Heping and other representatives from the Institute highlighted the facility’s achievements since its establishment, including its important role in the rescue efforts after the Yunnan earthquake in early August. Almost immediately after the disaster, the Institute sent its professors to the affected areas to assist the government, local hospitals and community organisations in their rescue attempts. For example, the professors gave emergency training to medical practitioners at hospitals in the affected areas of Yunnan, equipping them with the skills to treat those victims suffering from bone fractures. The professors also assessed the rehabilitation needs of the injured and provided them with preliminary rehab treatment, as well as improved plans for treatment upon their discharge from hospital.

Everyone in the meeting agreed that the Institute’s rescue efforts had showcased the purpose and meaning of the Club’s funding by contributing to national prevention and reduction of natural disasters, and achieving sustainable growth through nurturing first-class specialists in this profession.

Vice-Inspector of Sichuan Development and Reform Commission Liu Yuan, who has been involved in Sichuan’s reconstruction projects, praised the Club-supported initiatives for their emphasis on sustainability. She observed that the Club had spent huge efforts in following up on these projects, which all had their uniqueness in nature. Through this co-operation, she said, the two parties had built a strong friendship, which had allowed them to gain a better understanding of each other’s systems and culture.

Club-funded Sichuan reconstruction projects

A massive earthquake, measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale, struck Sichuan Province in 2008. More than 80,000 people were killed and some five million made homeless. Many of the survivors – including thousands of schoolchildren – suffered from physical injuries and lost limbs. The Hong Kong Jockey Club made an emergency donation of HK$30 million to support immediate relief work. It later pledged HK$1 billion towards post-earthquake reconstruction projects in Sichuan. In November 2008, the Club and the Sichuan Provincial Government signed memorandums of understanding on four projects to help reconstruct schools and hospital facilities in the worst affected areas. These projects were aimed at helping people of different backgrounds and ages so as to bring the maximum benefit to victims of the disaster, to bring new hope to the victims and encourage them to achieve their full potential. In 2010, the Club signed further reconstruction agreements on three new projects, focused on helping to re-establish vocational training, nurturing professionals in disaster management, enhancing critically-needed rehabilitation expertise and facilities, and strengthening reconstruction in the longer term.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is not only one of the world’s leading horse racing organisations, but also Hong Kong’s largest community contributor, donating HK$1.95 billion in 2012/13. In addition, the Club is a major taxpayer, Hong Kong’s single largest by far, generating over HK$17.64 billion in 2012/13 for public funds. The Club pioneers technology applications for sporting and betting entertainment, striving for the highest levels of customer service. As a membership club, it is recognised as one of Asia’s most prestigious. These multifaceted roles make it a well-respected and remarkable organisation, dedicated to its mission of enhancing the quality of life for all Hong Kong people.