HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 14 July 2026 - The Central and Western District Office, Central and Western District Youth Network, and FutureGen Youth Foundation ("the Foundation") co-organised the two-day Central & Western District Youth-to-Career Explo on 9 and 11 July. This event is funded by the Government of HKSAR, with the Hall of the Sai Ying Pun Community Complex provided as a venue. The event, part of the IGNITE18: Jumpstart Your Career series, brought together over 1,200 participants —including students, parents, teachers, and careers masters —alongside education institutions, prominent industry leaders, and community partners to explore future careers, AI, and the evolving world of work. Committed to expanding the program's reach across the district, The Council of Central & Western District School Heads served as the event's education partner.

Hosted at co-organiser and seed school St. Stephen's Girls' College, and the Sai Ying Pun Community Complex, the event was officiated by Alice Mak, SBS, JP, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, with a rich lineup of keynote sharing sessions on career insights, future trends and opportunities; AI and future skills workshops; youth dialogue sessions; and career exploration company booths.

Building A Future Talent Pipeline Through Early Industry and AI Exposure

Successfully equipping youth with direct access to leading industry representatives and companies, the signature youth event supported students across the Central and Western District in navigating their career and life planning journeys while strengthening Hong Kong's future talent pipeline across diverse industries. Bringing together education institutions, corporations, government departments, professional organisations, NGOs and community partners, and spanning across more than 20 industries, the event bridged the gap between education and the rapidly evolving world of work, connecting young people with real-world industry insights and equipping them with the access, opportunities, and resources they need to explore future pathways and prepare for tomorrow's workforce.

The IGNITE18 event series was pioneered by the FutureGen Youth Foundation, which aims to establish a citywide collective impact ecosystem connecting schools, industry, universities, and parents to support students navigating career and life planning. The initiative seeks to provide exposure to diverse industries, future career pathways, and hands-on future skills and AI experiences, while offering valuable workforce market insights and professional development opportunities for teachers and careers masters. By engaging parents in understanding AI and future-ready skills, the program actively strengthens Hong Kong's future talent pipeline across diverse sectors. The Foundation plans to expand IGNITE18 across all 18 districts in Hong Kong in the next two years.

"In a world where AI, business transformation, and entirely new fields are reshaping career pathways, there is an urgency to create greater access earlier – from secondary age – to better equip and support youth on their career development journey," said Jennifer Yu Cheng, JP, Founder of FutureGen Youth Foundation.

"At our Foundation, we have created a platform connecting over 140 Supporting Organisations with representation from education institutions, corporations, public institutes, NGOs, entrepreneurs and innovators to support youth career exploration and development in Hong Kong. Through IGNITE18, we aim to open doors earlier and inspire students to explore diverse career opportunities to be better equipped for tomorrow's world – with the ultimate hope of building a stronger and more diverse talent pipeline for Hong Kong's future."

Uniting Corporate and Education Leaders in a Collective Impact Ecosystem

The Central & Western District Youth-to-Career Explo brought together an extensive network of participating and supporting organisations across corporate, tech, education, and public service sectors, including:

Strategic Partner: Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited

Fully Supported By: McDonald's Hong Kong

Supporting Organisations: DALLOYAU; Deloitte Foundation; DETERMINANT; Hong Kong Hereditary Breast Cancer Family Registry; Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management; Police Community Relations Office, Central District,Hong Kong Police Force; Hong Kong Qualifications Framework; HSBC; JEMS Character Academy; L'Oréal Hong Kong; Microsoft Hong Kong; MTR Corporation Limited; Ocean Park Corporation; Pet Space Group Limited; PRISTER Corporation Limited; Project Management Institute; Story Jungle Education; Tencent Wetech Academy; XPENG Hong Kong; XPENG Hong Kong ARIDGE; Y.L.Yang Foundation; iREd Solutions Limited; Plus One Dimension Interactive Company Limited

Education Partners: Center for Global & Community Engagement (GCE), School of Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; The University of Hong Kong; Department of Surgery, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong; Faculty of Science, The University of Hong Kong; Hong Kong Association of Careers Masters and Guidance Masters; Hong Kong Association of the Heads of Secondary Schools; Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Chai Wan), Higher Diploma in Food Technology and Safety; Lingnan University Department of Digital Art and Creative Industries; Pre-incubation Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; School of Business, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong; The Council of Central & Western District School Heads; The Education University of Hong Kong; The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups

Supporting Statutory Body: The Authority of Qianhai SZ-HK Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone of Shenzhen

The event also featured prominent leaders and experts sharing insights across business, finance, education, technology, innovation, and the public sector:

• - Lawrence Hung – Immediate Past President and Executive Council Member, Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management
• - Gary Wong Chi-him, MH, JP – Chief Hong Kong and Macao Liaison Expert, Authority of Qianhai SZ-HK Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone of Shenzhen
• - Professor Ava Kwong – Chairman, Hong Kong Hereditary Breast Cancer FamilyRegistry; Clinical Professor, Department of Surgery, School of Clinical Medicine, The University of Hong Kong
• - Professor Lee Man Hoi – Professor, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, The University of Hong Kong
• - Serena Tang – Career Development and Training Director, HKU Business School

"We are deeply grateful to our seed schools, education partners, and Supporting Organisations for transforming the Foundation's vision into action and for joining us in empowering young people," said Secy Cheung, Founding Board Director of FutureGen Youth Foundation.

"Through our work with students, we have seen how powerful it can be when young people hear directly from industry leaders, professionals, and innovators. Often, a single conversation, sharing unexpected angles, can spark new aspirations and help students see pathways they had never previously imagined. IGNITE18 is about planting those seeds of possibility – inspiring young people to explore, discover, and take their first steps towards shaping their own futures."

The signature event showcased the boundless possibilities of a strong ecosystem connecting schools, industry, universities, and families in supporting Hong Kong's future leaders and talents. The IGNITE18 Central & Western District Youth-to-Career Explo generated strong community momentum that will continue to support students in understanding the future world of work, discovering their own pathways, and stepping into the future with confidence.