25/02/2026
The Employees Retraining Board (ERB) welcomes the 2026-27 Budget Speech announcing ERB to become Upskill Hong Kong, providing skill-based training courses, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) application, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of the local workforce.
ERB is committed to providing employment-oriented training for grassroots workers. Upon upgrading to Upskill Hong Kong, it will enhance its role in devising skills‑based training strategies for the entire workforce, sustaining its mission to serve local grassroots workers while promoting continuous upskilling for people from diverse backgrounds, thereby contributing to boosting Hong Kong’s human capital. ERB will be renamed as “Upskill Hong Kong” with the legislative amendments of the Employees Retraining Ordinance coming into effect.
Since early 2025, ERB has implemented a series of short‑term reform measures. In response to the 2025 Policy Address, ERB submitted its implementation plan for medium- to long-term reform measures to the Government by end 2025 and the measures will be rolled out in an orderly manner from 2026 onwards, including establishing a “skills-based” training framework, strengthening research capability, optimising course development processes and training models, developing skills learning pathways, introducing “stackable” micro-credential courses, and enhancing support services, with a view to assisting the workforce in upgrading their skills and enhancing competitiveness.
ERB will conduct a comprehensive review of skills and course gaps and develop skills learning pathways to support trainees of different backgrounds in understanding their skill development trajectories. ERB will prioritise the “Eight Centres” and “Nine Significant Sectors” as development areas and introduce new courses that address emerging skills needs arising from industry transformation. In light of the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) across industries and its growing importance as a cross-sector foundation skill, ERB will further integrate AI knowledge and application into its curriculum, offering courses from foundation to advanced AI skills training to support the workforce in adapting to workplace transformation.
Since January 2025, ERB has lifted the restriction on educational attainment of trainees and developed around 50 higher-level and future skills training courses, covering AI, technology application and professional certification courses, such as business applications of generative AI, AI-enhanced content creation in marketing/digital media design, application of Large Language Model (LLM), Blender and AI creative media integration, etc., to assist trainees with different educational backgrounds and training needs in acquiring essential new skills.
The Chairman of ERB, Professor Simon Wong Kit-lung said, “Every challenge is an opportunity. ERB adheres to the Government’s talent development plan and enhances skills and competitiveness for the entire workforce. Through driving the innovative development of ‘skills‑based’ training, ERB aims to foster upskilling across grassroots workers and the entire workforce so as to build a strong talent foundation that underpins Hong Kong’s high‑quality development.”
