Tsang said the government has accepted the Task Force's recommendations and will allocate 130 million HK dollars for their implementation, including the funding support for retailers to increase productivity.

"We will also assist the VTC in strengthening its vocational education and training with reference to the specifications of competency standards for the retail industry that was newly drawn up under the Qualifications Framework(QF)," he said.

"We shall seek closer collaboration with tertiary institutions and the industry to bring I.T. education more in line with the needs of the industry, and shall step up publicity about the contribution made by I.T. to our society and economy to enhance the profession's image," Tsang said.

To encourage continuous learning among practitioners in Hong Kong, the EDB plans to establish an endowment fund of 1 billion HK dollars to support the sustainable development of the QF, benefiting both employees and employers, education and training providers, assessment agencies and quality assurance bodies, Tsang said.

The Hong Kong government has been approved by the Legislative Council to allocate a total of 15 billion HK dollars as part of a long-term support for employee's trainings, including offering 130, 000 training places and services for those aged 15 or above with education attainment at sub-degree level or below.

Resources have also been reserved to provide an additional 40, 000 places to meet the potential demand from the employment market, according to Tsang's speech.

The secretary stressed that apart from encouraging young people to join these industries, attracting from abroad talents and workers not available in Hong Kong will also help maintain the city's competitiveness.

"I hope that employers, employees and the community will work towards solutions to the workforce shortage problems through candid and open discussions." Tsang said.