To dovetail with the National 14th Five-Year Plan on the strategy of high-quality development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), the Development Bureau (DEVB) has been committed to promoting the integration of Hong Kong’s construction and engineering industry into the national development. Relevant measures include the implementation of the “registration system” in 2021 upon fruitful discussions with relevant authorities of Guangdong Province, which allows Hong Kong construction and engineering enterprises and professionals to acquire equivalent qualifications on the Mainland, thereby facilitating their provision of direct services in the Mainland cities of the GBA. The first batch of Hong Kong engineers have recently passed the GBA engineering “Professional Title” evaluation and obtained the corresponding “Professional Title” on the Mainland, representing a major breakthrough in the alignment of the rules in the field of professional qualifications between two regions. This time, I have invited colleagues from the DEVB and industry representatives to introduce the registration system, “Professional Title” evaluation, and the benefits of the mutual recognition of qualifications.

The registration system facilitates Hong Kong professionals to start usinesses and practise on the Mainland

Principal Assistant Secretary (Works) of the DEVB, Mr LEUNG Hon-wan, David, introduces the GBA registration system, which allows consultant firms included in the two Hong Kong government lists, i.e. the list of consultants of the Architectural and Associated Consultants Selection Board and the list of consultants of the Engineering and Associated Consultants Selection Board, as well as professionals registered with relevant professional registration boards in Hong Kong, to start businesses and practise in the Mainland cities of the GBA by acquiring equivalent qualifications on the Mainland through submitting documentation to Mainland authorities for registration.

Permanent Secretary for Development (Works), Mr LAU Chun-kit, Ricky, says that the DEVB has always attached importance to the interconnected flow of talents, among which the recognition of professional qualifications is essential for talent mobility and technical exchange. With the implementation of the registration system, professionals from Hong Kong’s construction and engineering industry, covering various sectors like architecture, engineering, surveying, landscape architecture and planning, may provide professional services under the employment of either Hong Kong enterprises that have completed the registration process or Mainland enterprises with the equivalent qualifications.

The former President of the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors (HKIS) and Chairman of its Mainland Affairs Committee, Mr LAI Yuk-fai, Stephen, who has benefited from the registration system, says that initially one could only practice on the Mainland by registration through CEPA, he appreciates the DEVB’s efforts in promoting the implementation of the GBA registration system in the recent years, which eliminates the cumbersome procedures required and thus facilitating professionals of the industry to provide services on the Mainland.

Architect Mr LO Kin-nang, Kenneth, says that in the past, Hong Kong’s construction enterprises could only participate in Mainland projects by forming joint ventures with Mainland entities holding corresponding qualifications. Not until the introduction of the registration system can Hong Kong’s construction enterprises and professionals directly bid for government projects of the Mainland cities of the GBA after completing the registration process. While some perceive that salaries on the Mainland are generally lower than those in Hong Kong, Kenneth sees abundant opportunities in the Mainland cities, particularly many large-scale projects for construction and engineering professionals to participate in.

Successful establishment of the first “Professional Title” evaluation mechanism for Hong Kong engineers

Unlike Hong Kong, the Mainland operates a “Professional Title” evaluation system in addition to practising qualifications. Mr Ricky LAU explains that “Professional Title” is a unique evaluation system for professional qualifications adopted by the Mainland, and is an important benchmark for evaluating the skills and qualification levels of professionals. Due to differences in systems between Hong Kong and the Mainland, it was not easy for Hong Kong professionals to apply for Mainland "Professional Title" qualifications in the past. To address this, the DEVB and the Human Resources and Social Security Department of Guangdong Province (GDHRSSD) commenced communication and cooperation in 2023 and successfully established an evaluation mechanism of “Professional Title” qualification for Hong Kong engineering professionals. This enables the grading and recognition of their professional levels, qualifications, and competencies on a national level. The first batch of pilot assessment covered five engineering disciplines, namely civil engineering, geotechnical, measurement, control and instrumentation, highway and electrical.

With the joint efforts of the DEVB, the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (LOCPG), and relevant Mainland departments, over 200 Hong Kong engineers from the public sector, consultants, and contractors have passed the GBA engineering “Professional Title” evaluation and successfully obtained corresponding engineering “Professional Title” qualifications of the Mainland, including the ranks of “Professorate Senior Engineer”, “Senior Engineer”, “Engineer” and “Assistant Engineer”. This creates favourable conditions for them to pursue development on the Mainland. The “Professional Title” evaluation, involving experts from both Hong Kong and the Mainland, also fostered exchanges and cooperation between professionals of the two regions, and facilitated collaboration to promote the development of the construction and engineering sectors of both regions.

A celebration ceremony for the first batch of Hong Kong engineers who obtained the Mainland “Professional Title” qualifications was held in November last year. To extend my congratulations to them, I personally attended the event. Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Secretary for Development (Works) of the DEVB, Mr HO Ying-kit, Tony, stated that the successful implementation of the pilot “Professional Title” evaluation for the five engineering disciplines was a landmark example of opening the Mainland's “Professional Title” evaluation pathway for a professional field in Hong Kong, which set a benchmark and served as an exemplary model for other professions in Hong Kong.

“Professional Title” evaluation facilitating the alignment of professional recognition mechanisms and enhancing talent competitiveness in both regions

The successful completion of the pilot “Professional Title” evaluation marks a groundbreaking milestone, reflecting the country's support and care for Hong Kong professionals, which is a great encouragement. I urge the construction industry to seize this opportunity to expand their professional service footprint and better contribute to the national development.

Director of Long Engineering Limited, Mr CHAN Chi-man, who obtained the title of “Senior Engineer”, describes the acquiring of “Professional Title” as akin to a business card, which allows members of the industry on the Mainland to easily understand the professional backgrounds of their Hong Kong counterparts. For instance, being evaluated as a “Senior Engineer” is an essential credential which signifies his ability to lead a team in solving relatively complex engineering problems. Mr Chan also shares with us that he was nervous during the evaluation process as it was quite challenging from preparing documents to Question and Answer Session. He views the entire evaluation mechanism as a significant recognition and encouragement for Hong Kong engineers.

Senior Engineer of Binnies Hong Kong Limited, Ms CHAN Yuen-kwan, Jenny, expresses her joy at being part of the first batch of Hong Kong engineers to receive Mainland “Professional Title” qualifications. She believes this recognition will create more opportunities for young engineers. Citing herself as an example, knowing that she meets the qualification standard of “Engineer” on the Mainland will make it easier for her to integrate into the project framework and division of work when bidding for Mainland projects in the future, thereby enhancing her experience and career development.

President of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE), Mr MA Siu-cheung, Eric, expresses his gratitude to the DEVB, the LOCPG, and the GDHRSSD for their joint efforts in taking forward the pilot “Professional Title” evaluation in four disciplines of the HKIE. The whole assessment process was very smooth and successful. Other than the “Professional Title” qualifications, he also highlights the importance of mutual recognition of membership of professional institutions between Hong Kong and the Mainland. He says that the engineering institutions of Guangdong and Hong Kong have signed multiple agreements on mutual qualification recognition to promote the interconnected flow of talents in the GBA. He adds that the HKIE will continue to spare no effort in collaborating with the DEVB, relevant Mainland authorities and organisations to promote the alignment of professional qualifications between the two regions.

The successful completion of the pilot “Professional Title” evaluation marks a crucial step in integrating Hong Kong professionals into the Mainland’s “Professional Title” system. The DEVB has already negotiated with relevant Mainland authorities to regularise the evaluation mechanism of "Professional Title" qualifications and extend it to more construction-related professions, such as surveying and architecture. The DEVB will continue to work diligently to promote the alignment of professional qualifications between the Mainland and Hong Kong and leverage the complementary strengths of the construction industries in both regions to jointly build a high-quality GBA and contribute to advancing Chinese modernisation.