Scheme 2026
With continued industry demand for nurturing and retaining professional talent, the Construction Industry Council (CIC), with the support of the Development Bureau (DEVB), launches the Construction Industry Professional Degree Graduates On‑the‑Job Training Subsidy Scheme 2026. Building on the positive results achieved in 2025, the Scheme continues to support Main Contractors and Consultancy Firms in providing structured on‑the‑job training to graduates of recognised programmes in engineering, architecture, surveying, planning, landscape architecture, and environmental sectors. In 2026, the CIC has allocated approximately HK$180,000,000 to subsidise the construction industry in providing on-the-job training for a total of 3,000 subsidy quotas. The Scheme aims to:
- Strengthen the industry’s talent pipeline
- Support graduates in gaining practical experience required for professional memberships
- Maintain industry capacity amid ongoing manpower challenges
Eligibility
Applicants must fulfil all the criteria listed below:
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The Applicants must be Consultancy Firms or Main Contractors engaging in one of the six professional disciplines of the construction industry (i.e. engineering, architecture, surveying, planning, landscape architecture & environmental sectors), and must be included in any one of the lists below:
Main Contractors:
Main Contractors who have paid a levy to the CIC pursuant to the Construction Industry Council Ordinance (Cap. 587) since 1 April 2024.
Consultancy Firms:
They are on the lists maintained by construction professional institutes or the Government:- The Engineering and Associated Consultants Selection Board (EACSB)
- The Architectural and Associated Consultants Selection Board (AACSB)
- The Band 3 Architectural Consultants and the list of Registered Practices maintained by the Hong Kong Institute of Architects (HKIA)
- The Band 3 Architectural Consultants maintained by the Association of Architectural Practices Ltd (AAP)
- Member companies of the Association of Consultant Quantity Surveyors (ACQS)
- Member companies of the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors (HKIS)
- Member companies of the Association of Consultant Engineering of Hong Kong (ACEHK)
- Member companies of the Association of Registered Engineering Consultants (AREC)
- The Hong Kong Institute of Planners (HKIP)
- The Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects (HKILA)
- The Applicants must be registered companies pursuant to the Business Registration Ordinance (Cap. 310, Laws of Hong Kong); and
- The employees of a subsidiary company, which does not fulfil the eligibility criterion under item 1 above, but with 30% or more ownership is being held by the Applicant, irrespective of different Business Registration numbers, can be treated as the Applicant’s employees. However, the Applicant is required to justify that these employees are engaged for performing the Applicant’s contracts during the entire subsidy period at the disbursement stage.
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The Applicants must have employed young construction graduates (“Young Graduates”) as their full-time employees to engage in construction-related professional work within the subsidy period. The Young Graduates must fulfil the following criteria before 1 July 2026:
- Valid Hong Kong identity card holders under the age of 35; and
- Under the full-time employment of the Applicant; and
- Graduates of professional degree programmes recognised by any of the six Professional Institutes for qualifying to be professionals of the relevant profession and are yet to obtain the professional memberships*; or
- Graduates of higher diploma programmes accredited by any of the six Professional Institutes as associate members, who are:
- Full-time employed by main contractors; and
- Performing similar professional duties at their work, e.g. Project Coordinators / Site Agents working on construction sites.
* Note:
For the academic qualifications recognised by HKIE, HKIA, HKIS, and HKIQEP, please refer to the links below:
HKIE / HKIA / HKIS / HKIQEP
For the courses not on the list, please refer to corresponding professional institutes for eligibility checking.
* Definition of an Eligible Fresh Graduate
1. Graduated in 2026; and
2. Must fulfil the above criteria before 1 October 2026.
Subsidy Level
Approved companies will receive a monthly subsidy of HK$5,000 for each of their Young Graduate quotas for a maximum period of 12 months.
Subsidy Period
The subsidy period runs from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 (a total of 12 months). Approved companies must retain the approved number of Young Graduates throughout the subsidy period.
* For Fresh Graduates, the subsidy period is from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2027.
Application Period and Application Arrangements
The application period runs from 16 April to 30 April 2026.
At the time of application, only the desired number of subsidy quota for Young Graduates are required to be provided. Personal data of the Young Graduates are not required at this stage.
Applicants will receive the results of the approval-in-principle in June 2026, indicating whether their application is approved and the number of approved subsidy quotas. They shall submit valid documentation supporting their employment of Young Graduates to the CIC for disbursement submissions before the specified deadline.
Liability of the Applicants
- Apart from providing all the employment protections as stipulated under labour legislation, the Applicants shall also provide on-the-job training to the subsidised Young Graduates to enrich their professional knowledge and experience, and assist more young people in obtaining professional qualifications;
- The Applicants shall submit sufficient, true and accurate supporting documents as approved by the CIC for the purpose of application approval and disbursements;
- The Applicants shall sign a declaration to confirm that they will follow all the requirements under the Scheme. In case any false declaration is found or the approved applicants fail to fulfil all the requirements under the Scheme, the CIC shall be entitled to demand the return of the disbursements in part or in full or take other actions; and
- The Applicants shall agree that the CIC may spot-check the applications, including checking the related documents on-site, and transferring the application information and documents to relevant Government departments on request for reviewing and assuring that the approved applicants have followed all the requirements under the Scheme. The CIC shall ensure that the use and disclosure of related information is only for purposes related to the Scheme.
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