The government will launch a subsidy scheme with the aim of encouraging residents to take examinations for a number of language proficiency qualifications. Each applicant can get a subsidy of MOP1,000 for each qualification if they get the required results.
The plan will be jointly launched by the Talent Development Committee, Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ) and Macau Foundation (FM).
A press conference about the scheme was held on Wednesday at the committee’s office in Nam Van.
Addressing the press conference, Lei Lai Keng, a senior official of the Talent Development Committee, said the subsidy scheme aimed to encourage residents to take language proficiency examinations to achieve a specific level, as part of the government’s wider aim of encouraging residents to develop different kinds of practical skills.
According to the Macau Post Daily, The subsidy scheme for language proficiency qualifications will be a pilot scheme running from next Wednesday to June 30 next year.
The MOP 1,000 subsidy is for five language proficiency qualifications. The five qualifications are two for Chinese one for Portuguese and two for English, according to Lei.
The two Chinese language qualifications are the Putonghua Proficiency Test (Putonghua Shuiping Ceshi, PSC), and the Chinese Proficiency Test (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi, HSK).
The Portuguese language qualification is CAPLE – Centro de Avaliação de Português Língua Estrangeira (Centre for Evaluation of Portuguese as a Foreign Language).
The English language qualifications are IELTS (International English Language Testing System) General Training and TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) Listening and Reading.
Lei said that the subsidy scheme will be for examinations in the proficiency of languages “that are commonly used in the job market” first, after which the government will consider extending the subsidy to qualification examinations for various other occupational fields.
Local residents aged at least 15 can apply for the subsidy.
Lei said she expected some 1,000 residents to participate in the scheme.
Local residents need to register their information on the “Talent Information Registration” system (database) on the committee’s website first, before they can apply for the subsidy. The information they need to provide on the “Talent Information Registration” system includes the academic qualifications and work experience that they have.
The applications for the subsidy can be made from November 1 on the committee’s website.
