Developing a profession is comparable to building a mansion, where establishing a solid and profound foundation is essential. The journey of Ir Sr Henry Ng serves as an excellent example.
Beginning as a young and inexperienced individual, he embarked on apprenticeship training at VTC, fostering a serious working attitude, honing his diligence and perseverance, accumulating knowledge, while gaining practical experience. These qualities became the cornerstone of his progression. Over the years, he continuously advanced himself, ultimately ascending to the role of a professional engineer. Currently, he holds the position of Senior Project Manager at Sun Fook Kong Construction Management Limited. He passionately urges young apprentices to strive relentlessly and actively pursue self-improvement, believing that they too can excel in their professional paths. Moreover, he advocates for corporate support of the Apprenticeship Scheme, as this will create greater value for enterprises and realise a win-win situation for both employees and employers.
Apprenticeship Training: Emphasis of Devotion and Practicality
Henry Ng enrolled in an engineering program at a vocational preparatory school. His educational journey was far from smooth as he fell short of meeting the required standard in the HKCEE English examination twice. Faced with an uncertain future, he set clear goals and pursued a career in civil engineering as an apprentice technician, taking his first step towards a life of hard work and determination. "For a novice like me, having a stable monthly income, along with allowances, was sufficient to support my livelihood and family expenses. What's more important was being able to balance my studies, which was certainly ideal." Reflecting on his past experiences, he is grateful for his apprenticeship, which acted as a guiding compass, pointing him towards further education and career progression. The daily guidance from mentors helped improve his skill set and provided him with practical work experience, gradually equipping him with the professional skills required to enter the engineering field and enhancing his competitive edge.
However, the apprenticeship journey, which combines employment and training, was not easy. He had to work six days a week, with two evenings and one day off to attend classes at VTC. Moreover, he dedicated additional time to study English and Mathematics to ensure he kept up with the studies. During that time, perseverance became his guiding principle. As a newcomer in the workforce, he considered it a great opportunity to join a leading property developer, where he was assigned to the quality management team for luxury residence projects. Working alongside his mentors, he gained invaluable experience monitoring construction quality and performing quality control of building structures, which opened his eyes to a whole new perspective.
Benefiting from the extensive scale and capabilities of the company, Henry received comprehensive training opportunities, further enhancing his skills and knowledge required for the duties, improving his performance, and instilling a sense of belonging to the company. Reminiscing about his mentor's strict guidance, he shared, "The masters were experts in every detail of the project. Although they might be gruff at times, it was their way of teaching." He highly valued this learning opportunity and actively sought guidance. He applied his experiences, put his knowledge into practice, and nurtured a diligent, serious, and meticulous work attitude. Furthermore, he had to communicate and collaborate with various departments while handling unexpected situations, which honed his interpersonal communication skills and adaptability beyond what is taught in textbooks. Through years of systematic on-the-job training, he enhanced his professional knowledge and skills, developed expertise, and moved closer to his goal of becoming a professional engineer.
Elite Apprentice Striving for Professional Advancement
After completing his apprenticeship training and Higher Certificate in Civil Engineering at IVE, Henry joined a construction contractor. He was well-informed by his predecessors about the importance of acquiring professional qualifications to seize opportunities for career advancement. Firmly believing in the principle of “No progression is regression”, he devoted his spare time for further studies. He pursued a bachelor’s degree in engineering science and a master’s degree in civil engineering. His relentless hard work eventually paid off, leading to his successful transition from an apprentice to a registered professional engineer (R.P.E.). However, he did not rest on his laurels but instead continued his pursuit of self-growth and learning. He enrolled in various engineering-related professional courses, obtaining professional qualifications such as Surveyor, Property Management Practitioner (Tier 1) Licence, and Registered Construction Manager.
To stand out in the fiercely competitive industry, he continuously pursued further education. He tailored his studies to align with the company’s development needs, bidding requirements, and market changes. This included acquiring professional knowledge in occupational safety and health, facility management, and other relevant areas. He aimed to become a versatile and well-rounded engineering expert, equipped to bring greater value to the company.
Currently, he serves as a Senior Project Manager at Sun Fook Kong Construction Management Limited, where he leads a team in managing the company's project. Inspired by the tradition of apprenticeship, he enjoys sharing knowledge and experiences with the younger generation. Concurrently, he works as a lecturer in various tertiary institutions, teaching subjects related to construction engineering. This not only allows him to contribute to the educational process, but also enables him to acquire valuable insights and experiences through teaching. To support the growth of the next generation through diverse avenues, he is pursuing a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (Professional and Vocational Education) to further enrich his professional resume. Additionally, he actively participates in several mentorship programs, serving as a voluntary mentor, guiding mentees to broaden their horizons, strengthen their self-confidence, and cultivate a positive outlook on life. He also shares his own experiences with them, providing guidance, support, and encouragement along the way.
Mutual Benefits for Employers and Employees
During the interview, Henry wholeheartedly expressed that becoming an apprentice was the right choice for his life. He had an important piece of advice for young people aspiring to embark on the apprenticeship journey. "It doesn't matter how others perceive your expertise; what matters is how you view your own professional development from a professional standpoint". To progress from an apprentice to an engineer, achieving professionalism, he offered two practical suggestions. Firstly, maintain a lifelong learning mentality. Even if you become a master or an engineer, you should still be willing to learn in order to continuously progress and grow. Secondly, endure and persevere through rigorous training processes as they serve as valuable experiences for personal development. Just as an uncut gem lacks sparkle, and even the finest raw jade remains an ordinary stone without polishing, it is only through time, practice and honing of skills that true professional growth be achieved.
As a member of the management team, Henry believes that the Apprenticeship Scheme is an important strategy for a company's development. It cultivates loyal, reliable, skilled and experienced technical professionals while establishing a diverse and flexible talent pool. Drawing from personal experience, he believes that early integration into a company and understanding its corporate culture allows apprentices to develop a sense of belonging. This sense of connection motivates them to grow alongside the company, recognising their contributions to its success. Consequently, they become more actively engaged in their work and exhibit a high sense of responsibility.
The true significance of the apprenticeship scheme lies in the practice of skills being passed down from generation to generation, allowing the young to gain valuable experience from their senior counterparts. This process ensures continuous development within the company, and the transmission of critical skills, benefiting both employers and employees. It creates a mutually beneficial and win-win situation that drives the growth and success of the company.
