CIC Funding Proposal to Enhance Construction Workforce Quality through Training and Innovation

Hong Kong, 23 February 2022 — The Construction Industry Council (CIC) welcomes the Budget 2022-2023’s proposal to provide HKD1 billion funding to enhance workforce supply of the construction industry further and inject an additional HKD1.2 billion into the Construction Innovation and Technology Fund (CITF).

“The Budget showed the Government’s support to and understanding of the construction industry. The CIC believes that Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) method will prevail in the industry in the future. Together with other targeted and forward-looking funding’s support, we are expecting to see more young people and innovative construction technology adoption in the construction industry,” said Ir Thomas HO, Chairman of CIC.

With the Northern Metropolis Development Strategy and Lantau Tomorrow Vision, and other infrastructures and projects, the annual total construction output will reach around HKD300 billion. On the contrary, the construction industry is currently facing a shortage in labour, which can only resolve by attracting new blood and adopting technology. Hence, the Hong Kong Institute of Construction will extend its Collaboration Scheme with contractors. Under the scheme’s “First-hire-then-train” approach, we aim to uplift general workers’ skill levels. In addition, we hope that an increase in allowance would also help to attract workers in other industries to receive training and join the construction industry.

The CIC and the Development Bureau strive to promote Construction 2.0 initiatives to enhance productivity, sustainability and site safety by adopting innovative technology and the MiC method. Accordingly, CITF Enhancement Measure has been released since 1 January 2022, including increasing 87 per cent funding ceiling to HK1.5million per technology and doubling the top for BIM and Advanced Construction Technology Combined Funding to HKHKD6M per company.

The CIC is also pleased to learn the new measure that increases floor area concession from the current 6 to 10 per cent and provides corresponding site coverage concession for MiC buildings. Such efforts will encourage the adoption of MiC among developers, speed up the housing supply with this time-saving construction method, and relieve the workforce shortage problem. The Budget also earmarked HKD30 million to promote applied research and development and the adoption of new materials and innovative construction technologies in public works and the industry in the coming three years. The CIC believes that additional funding can encourage the trial of innovative technology to boost project quality and improve environmental performance. — Construction+ Online