STEM Internship Scheme
Objective
Launched in 2020, the STEM14 Internship Scheme (the "Scheme") aims to encourage STEM students to gain innovation and technology ("I&T")-related work experience during their studies and to foster their interest in pursuing a career in I&T after graduation, so as to enlarge the local I&T talent pool. Under the Scheme, allowance will be provided for undergraduates and postgraduates taking university full‑time STEM programmes funded by the University Grants Committee ("UGC") to enrol in short-term internships. The Chief Executive announced in the 2022 Policy Address that the Scheme would be expanded to offer local I&T-related internship opportunities to students studying STEM programmes at Greater Bay Area campuses established by designated local universities, as well as in other local and non-local universities. The relevant measures will be implemented in 2023-24. Further details will be announced later.
Eligibility
- Universities: Tertiary institutions in Hong Kong funded by the UGC offering full-time STEM programmes are eligible to receive funding under the Scheme. Individual universities may supplement further requirements and make specific arrangements to suit their own circumstances.
- Students: the Scheme is open to both local15 and non-local undergraduates and postgraduates15A enrolled in full-time eligible STEM-related programmes offered by the participating universities. Non-local students are allowed to enrol in internships in Hong Kong only, subject to the conditions of stay of their visa/entry permit issued by the Immigration Department. Student interns receiving the allowance under the Scheme cannot concurrently benefit from other internship subsidies provided by the Hong Kong SAR Government (the "HKSAR Government").
- Employers: all companies/organisations15A are welcomed to offer I&T-related internship places for, and recruit interns benefited from the Scheme, subject to the arrangements of individual universities. Participating employers are expected to provide proper supervision for the student interns.
Participating employers may pay the student interns an honorarium on top of the allowance under the Scheme with reference to their internal policies, industry benchmarks or market rates16. Companies/organisations should not receive other subsidies from the HKSAR Government for engaging any student interns under the Scheme.
Key Features
- Internship Placements: Internship places can be newly created or belong to existing in-house internship programmes of the companies/organisations. They have to meet the following requirements -
- local or non-local full-time placements17 lasting at least four consecutive weeks (28 calendar days); and
- offer meaningful I&T-related work, subject to the vetting of the universities.
The Scheme has adopted a broad definition of I&T under which an internship place will be regarded as I&T-related as long as its actual work contains I&T elements (e.g. technology-related intellectual property work, digital marketing, data analysis for the manufacturing industry, etc.). Participating employers may pay an honorarium during the internship period on top of the allowance under the Scheme. They have full discretion in determining the honorarium level (without affecting the allowance received by the student interns under the Scheme) with reference to their internal policies, industry benchmarks or market rates16.
- Allowance and Funding: The student interns will receive the allowance subject to the arrangements of individual universities. The current allowance for each student intern under the Scheme is HK$10,500 per month19, with a cap as prescribed by individual universities, but not more than three months in each academic year. ITC will disburse the funding to the universities on a reimbursement basis.
Application
Individual universities are responsible for administering the Scheme and prescribing their respective application procedures and arrangements. It is at the discretion of individual universities to decide whether an internship place is I&T-related and meaningful, based on the feedbacks of past student interns, and to set a ceiling on the number of student interns under the Scheme in each company/organisation to enrich student experiences. Interested students and employers are welcomed to approach the respective universities.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are currently eight participating universities, namely City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University, Lingnan University, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Education University, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the University of Hong Kong.
Each participating university is responsible for administering the Scheme, and prescribing its application procedure and arrangement. Interested students and employers may approach respective universities directly for details.
Yes. Starting from April 2021, both local and non-local students who are legally employable in Hong Kong and meet the eligibility requirements are welcomed to join the Scheme. Non-local students are allowed to enrol in internships in Hong Kong only, subject to the conditions of stay of their visa/entry permit issued by the Immigration Department.
Final year students who have fulfilled all the course/credit requirements are eligible, so long as the internship commences before the expiry of student status and they meet the requirements of the individual universities. Non-local students should be subject to the conditions of stay of their visa/entry permit issued by the Immigration Department.
Only full-time internship is eligible under the Scheme. However, subject to the arrangement of individual universities and agreement of the participating employer, student intern may take unpaid study leaves insofar that the full-time employment requirement is met.
On the premise that the requirements of their university have been met, students may undertake internships under the Scheme during gap semester/year with a cap as prescribed by their university but not more than three months in each academic year.
Yes. As individual universities have prescribed their respective arrangements for application and allowance disbursement, the participating employer should ensure that it meets any requirements as set by the respective universities of the student interns. Such arrangements may include setting a ceiling on the number of student interns in each company/organisation and deciding whether an internship place is I&T‑related and meaningful based on the feedbacks of past student interns.
You may visit the following websites for more information on the relevant requirements under: -
the Minimum Wages Ordinance (Cap. 608):
https://www.labour.gov.hk/eng/erb/smw_esi_wes.htm
Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF):
https://www.mpfa.org.hk/en/mpf-system/mandatory-contributions/employees
Others
Videos of Case Sharing by Student Interns
Advertorials
Headline Daily
HKET
SCMP
Ming Pao
HKET
SCMP
Headline Daily
Ming Pao
Enquiry
Interested students and employers may contact the following universities -
| University | Contact |
|---|---|
| City University of Hong Kong | Career and Leadership Centre Tel: (852) 3442 5594 Email: stem.internship@cityu.edu.hk |
| Hong Kong Baptist University | Miss Penny Lo Career Centre Tel: (852) 3411 5278 Email: pennylo@hkbu.edu.hk |
| Lingnan University |
Office of Student Affairs – Career Advising Services |
| The Chinese University of Hong Kong | Career Planning and Development Centre Tel: (852) 3943 7202 Email: cpdc@cuhk.edu.hk |
| The Education University of Hong Kong | Career Development Service Tel: (852) 2948 6246 Email: careerservice@eduhk.hk |
| The Hong Kong Polytechnic University | Careers and Placement Section, Student Affairs Office Tel: (852) 3400 2446 Email: stem.cps@polyu.edu.hk |
| The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology | Career Center Tel: (852) 2358 6688 Email: itcstem@ust.hk |
| The University of Hong Kong | The Centre of Development and Resources for Students Tel: (852) 3917 2317 Email: stem@cedars.hku.hk |