Retraining Allowance

SJS SE
Apr 11
3 min read

The "Policy Address" announces that the monthly cap for the employee retraining subsidy will be raised by nearly 40% to HK$8,000. The retraining programs will be provided by the Employee Retraining Board (ERB) and will cover approximately 700 training courses across 28 industries, specifically designed for various groups such as youth, women, individuals aged 50 and above, and ethnic minorities.The "Placement-tied courses" lasting 7 days or more will offer retraining subsidies, and unemployed individuals can waive tuition fees.

Eligibility

Eligible employees in Hong Kong ; and
Aged 15 or above; and
Applicants should meet the entry requirements of courses
Applicants of placement-tied courses must be unemployed or non-engaged

ERB will remove from the eligibility criteria the cap on education level of trainees from 1 January 2025, with a view to encouraging and supporting people with different backgrounds and educational attainments in pursuing skills upgrading, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of the local labour force.

Course Fee

Placement-tied courses tailored for the unemployed are offered free of charge;

Non-placement-tied courses are fee-charging and fees payable are based on the amounts stipulated at the time of application：

Applicants with nil income or monthly income at or below $14,000 can apply for course fee waiver；
Applicants with monthly income higher than $14,000 can apply for course fee subsidies；
"Highly Subsidised Fee" and "Normal Subsidised Fee" of individual courses will be payable respectively by applicants with monthly income between $14,001 and $22,000 and those with monthly income above $22,000.

Course Content

ERB courses cover 28 industries and generic skills areas. Trainees with an attainment of at least 80% attendance rate are provided with a 3-6 month placement follow-up services by Training Bodies to help trainees enter the job market.

Application Procedures and Supporting Documents Required

Applicants can apply for the course in person, by mail, or online.

Applicants applying by mail or online must present the original required documents (including Hong Kong identity card, academic qualification proof, etc.) to the relevant training institution before the course starts.
Those wishing to apply online can visit the Employee Retraining Board's training course search website to directly search for the relevant courses.
For those who want to apply in person, they need to bring the original required documents to the relevant training institution and then complete the course application form.

Applicants can apply for 2 placement-tied courses but cannot enroll in both at the same time.

Applicants must bring the following original documents when applying in person at the relevant training institution:

Proof of being eligible employee of Hong Kong
Proof of educational attainment
Proof of work experience or professional qualification/certification

Retraining Allowance

Trainees attending placement-tied courses with duration of seven days or more and fulfilling the stipulated eligibility criteria, can apply for retraining allowance.trainees of placement-tied courses are eligible for retraining allowance on condition that the sum of the following sessions comprises at least 80% of the total number of course sessions，Trainees are eligible for retraining allowance once per year at most.

One-stop Training and Employment Scheme

The "One-stop Training and Employment Scheme" comprising pre-employment training , placement follow-up and continuous upskilling support services to encourage the unemployed, non-engaged or those seeking jobs to engage in enterprise-base pre-employment training and join industries with keen manpower demand. Skill upgrading training will be arranged for participating trainees of the Scheme in the course of employment, with a view to supporting them to sustain in employment and catering for the manpower needs of various industries.