Civil Service Newsletter Issue 108

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Further accreditation of training programmes under the Immigration Service Institute of Training and Development

Immigration Department

FOLLOWING the recognition of qualifications of its training programmes under the Hong Kong Qualifications Framework (HKQF) in 2018, the Immigration Department (ImmD), in the capacity of programme operator, was further accredited by the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ) in November 2019 to include its induction training programme for Immigration Officers and passenger clearance programme for in-service Immigration Assistants in the Qualifications Register (QR), marking another milestone in ImmD’s training programmes.

Training programmes — combining theory with practice

Upon completion of the induction training programme under HKQF, newly recruited Immigration Officers will be awarded a “Professional Diploma in Management in Immigration Services and Control for Immigration Officers”, which is at HKQF Level 5 (equivalent to a local Bachelor’s Degree). For in-service Immigration Assistants who have completed the passenger clearance programme, they will be awarded a “Professional Diploma in Immigration Control and Passenger Clearance”, which is at HKQF Level 4 (equivalent to a local Associate Degree or a Higher Diploma).

Foot drill training.

Mock court training.

The further accreditation of the self-operating training programmes of the Immigration Service Institute of Training and Development (ISITD) demonstrates that ISITD’s facilities, course contents and teaching staff have won great recognition. The programmes combine theory with practice and are jointly conducted by ISITD’s training officers and university instructors—including members of the legal sector, mediators and experienced university professors. The rich content enables trainees to follow societal trends, advance with the times, and also helps motivate members of the Immigration Service to enhance their knowledge and competitiveness by pursuing continuing education and lifelong learning.

Currently, ISITD, in the capacity of operator, is also applying to HKCAAVQ for accreditation of its training programme for Senior Immigration Officers. It is expected that accreditation of the programme (equivalent to a local Bachelor’s Degree) can be obtained by the end of this year. Looking ahead, ImmD will continue to strive for excellence and to apply for the inclusion of various internal training programmes in the QR.

Training course conducted by university instructors.

Team building training for Immigration Officer trainees.

Colleagues’ feedback: Ms CHENG Nga-yi, Immigration Officer (Probationary), has completed the training programme and said, “The newly-added mediation course has not only helped enhance our emotional management, crisis management and coping skills, but has also equipped us with professional knowledge so that we can apply it in our future postings.” Mr MAN Chak-san, in-service Immigration Assistant, noted, “We have learnt from the university instructors many professional customer service skills to enhance our ability to communicate, which will be useful for providing quality, efficient and thoughtful services to the public and visitors in discharging our frontline duties in future.”

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