What was Hong Kong built on? Entrepreneurial spirit. We are famous for it. It acts as a motor for job creation that leads to economic growth. This in turn generates wealth and optimism which is good news for us all. Economic downturn and uncertainty mean that young people need extra encouragement to thrive and flourish as 21st century entrepreneurs and it takes a special extra something to succeed. A mixture of vision, innovation, and aptitude. Start-ups need all three to survive, to transform a flair for ideas into business reality.

And entrepreneurship doesn't stop there. It never stops. It's a hard-working, constant process of change, adaptation and update, all stimulated by a passion for lifelong learning and the willingness to take risks. The Federation is proud to be running practical partnership projects* like LiveWIRE, with Shell (Hong Kong) which get young people on the right track.
Click here for more info on LiveWIRE: www.shell-livewire.com.hk or tel Mandy 3113 7999. Contact the Youth Employment Network at the same phone number if you're interested in setting up a similar partnership with us.

Booked up

Wai and his three partners are exactly what HK needs when it comes to free enterprise. They have good ideas and know how to make up for lack of experience in sound business practice. Realising how often start-ups run into trouble, Wai surfed the web for advice. He came across the LiveWIRE site and- as fortune had it - was able to sign up immediately for a free 2-week workshop series during the summer. That was how the idea became a reality.

We asked what were the most valuable components offered by the workshops. Wai and Chan said that a clear vision was fundamental but just as important was having faith that it would work. Brainstorming sessions followed and Wai emphasized how useful- if sometimes alarming- it was to have his assumptions challenged every step of the way. This was invaluable during the process of refining the business proposal and mapping out a realistic strategy.

Estimating costs accurately was another major hurdle that the workshops helped with. Wai said his Federation tutors reminded him of vital budget elements he had overlooked and suggested reductions where he had over-budgeted while advising on ways of cutting costs where possible. They told him about the importance of networking, having contact with the right people in the right place at the right time. Crucially, they also advised on choosing the right partners to work with - people who complemented one another both in aptitude and temperament. It's not always easy to get the right combination but Wai, Chan, Wing and Ha get along famously.

The Causeway Bay bookshop, open since the beginning of October, sells mainly simplified Chinese books and has a small stock of English language material, magazines, music and DVDs. They pay a high rent but think it's definitely worth it. The right location - as the Federation tutors kept saying - is vital.

Wai and Chan are busy people. This isn't their only occupation and long opening hours mean they get pretty tired but they have the great satisfaction of seeing their business up and running smoothly. They say that money isn't the most important part of the enterprise. For them, it's the customer satisfaction and enjoying their work that count most. Just across the way there's a branch of another bookshop that has a chain of outlets through Hong Kong. Major competition we asked? Well actually our prices are better said Chan, so we can steal some of their customers!

The Federation and LiveWIRE provided exactly what they needed when they needed it.

“They built up my confidence and made sure my mission goals were clear",said Wai.

And what has been the most critical factor in their success so far? Chan and Wai were unanimous:

“Putting heart and soul behind the project and having faith that it will succeed.”

Would they recommend LiveWIRE workshops to friends? Absolutely no hesitation.
For more info on the bookshop contact info@scholar.hk. Better still visit the shop:Scholar's Family Ltd, 1/F Kwong On Building, Yee Wo Street, Causeway Bay.

Last month, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department carried out a survey prior to developing a youth nature conservation programme. Interviews with 1,300 children in 16 kindergartens, primary and secondary schools showed that they were quite knowledgeable about plants and animals- in theory, but not in practice. For example, 90 % students interviewed knew that Mai Po was Hong Kong's paradise for birds but only 60% of them had ever done any bird-watching. Only41% had stepped barefoot on grass and only 36 % s had ever hugged a tree. Conservation officer Dr. Fiona Lock Nga-yi, explaining that our children learn about our environment from books rather than by direct contact with plants and animals, said the city's urban lifestyle deprived them of developing an interest in the environment. How sad, given the rich diversity and accessibility of our countryside. But the Federation's Youth Camps and Outdoor Activities Centres could give them a first taste. Visit the camps website

www.hkfyg.org.hk/camp or contact camp@hkfyg.org.hk, otc@hkfyg.org.hk, lyc@hkfyg.org.hk, s@hkfyg.org.hk or tmt@hkfyg.org.hk for more info.

When do most people start smoking? When they're young and most vulnerable to advertising. In Hong Kong 12% of boys and 10% of girls aged 14 are daily smokers* and the figures for females are rising. Why do they do it? Largely because their friends do. In China smoking will kill one third of all the males under 30 alive today**. City University's Youth Studies Net has carried out an in-depth survey*** among 17 smokers aged 13 to18. They said they smoked because of peer group pressure, lack of long-term goals and misconceptions about the risks. Most smokers want to give up and usefully Legco agreed last month to ban smoking in all public places last month. Prof. Huang Cheng-rong of City U said more resources were needed to train peer group counsellors as No Smoking Ambassadors who could use negative reinforcement to encourage quitting. Would Federation partners like to help?

*www.info.gov.hk/hkcosh/harm/en_harm4.html **http://www.wpro.who.int/tfi/docs/wntd02/18FS%20smoking%20stats.doc.
***report in Apple Daily 25/10/04

Weight problems among young people are not limited to the U.S.A. The phenomenon extends well beyond, to Europe and Asia. Hong Kong is no exception and WHO policy adviser Judith Mackay who is based here says heart disease has its roots in unhealthy childhood lifestyles. Overweight children are 3 to 5 times more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke before the age of 65 than children with normal weight.* A recent survey** released by the Sports Development Board found that although the majority of the respondents in Hong Kong agreed that exercise could improve a person’s health and sense of well-being the top 3 pastimes were watching TV, shopping and sleeping. Parents, schools and teachers have to show the way here, encouraging children and teenagers to take more exercise and eat better instead of filling up on junk food and snacks. In France, famous for its love of good food, they are already taking the lead by removing 8,000 soft drink and sweet vending machines in middle and secondary schools by the next school year. How about a similar initiative in Hong Kong where we too know very well the difference between good food and bad?
*SCMP 23/09/04, 11/10/04 & 13/10/04
Millennium Sports Study (MSS), 21/9/04, by the HK Sports Development Board (now HK Sports Institute)

Education reform tabled

The proposal for educational reform is to change 7 years at secondary school to 6 (3+3) followed by a 4-year instead of a 3-year undergraduate degree. The existing public exams in F5 and F7 will be replaced by a single one at the end of senior secondary school at which students will be examined in 4 core subjects - Chinese, English, maths and the new compulsory liberal studies, plus a selection of optional electives.

The key objectives are to provide alternative pathways for students with varying needs while making lifelong learning an overall goal. At university level there would be better alignment with the Mainland and mainstream international academic structures. Achieving these intentions will require careful preparation by schools and close co-operation among all policy making bodies. The Education and Manpower Bureau welcomes feedback from the community and encourages everyone who cares about the future of education in Hong Kong to voice their opinion.
The government's website www.emb.gov.hk has full details and feedback is welcome till 19/1/05.