Cross-sector push needed for youth facing ‘paradox of AI fluency’: minister

Hong Kong's labour secretary, Chris Sun Yuk-han, has called for a collaborative effort across sectors to aid young people in acquiring job experience amidst the upheaval caused by artificial intelligence (AI). Speaking at the Hong Kong Jockey Club's PBC Forum 2026, Sun warned that higher education alone is no longer sufficient for career success in the AI era.

He emphasized that success today demands AI fluency, trade-specific professional skills, and soft skills like communication. Sun highlighted a paradox: while young individuals possess high AI fluency, they struggle to find real-world work opportunities to demonstrate their abilities. He called for a united effort between the government, employers, and philanthropy to facilitate a smoother transition for young people into the workforce.

Sun also outlined the government's initiatives to support social mobility and retraining, including upgrading the Employees Retraining Board and launching a social welfare project-matching platform. Singapore's trade minister, Tan See Leng, echoed the need for a continuous learning mindset. She emphasized that her country is striving to make AI fluency widely accessible by offering subsidies for AI courses.

Tan stressed that with technology evolving rapidly, job cycles are becoming shorter, necessitating a commitment to ongoing learning.