The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) is joining the “Level Up Digital Talent Program” launched by the world’s largest social media platform recently as the lead partner to nurture future digital talents.
Using the platform’s Blueprint digital marketing materials, the University has aided in the development of a curriculum to equip not just its own students, but those from other partnering universities, with digital marketing skills that would help the younger generation thrive in the new digital era.
To further extend the reach and impact, HKUST’s Entrepreneurship Education Team and the social media company also co-developed a set of digital marketing modules and workshops for university students from HKUST, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, City University of Hong Kong, Lingnan University, the University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
As a pioneer in entrepreneurship education, HKUST has seen an increasing need in bridging the skill gap among the younger generation in harnessing social media as a digital marketing tool. Thus, in this new semester, the University has launched ENTR1001 – a credit-bearing entrepreneurship course offered by the HKUST’s Division of Integrative Systems and Design for students at HKUST as well as those from Lingnan University, and the Singapore University of Technology and Design. Students from the three universities will work in teams to put marketing theories into practice, much like the future of work.
Live training sessions will be provided by social media company’s Blueprint trainers and HKUST teaching staff, where students can develop social media skills, and equip themselves for the digital marketing field. Students who successfully complete the ENTR 1001 course or the workshop will receive free vouchers from the company, which they can use for taking their examinations. Those who pass will gain certifications that would allow them to join the social media giant’s Certification Career Network, where they will be able to share profiles and credentials directly with top-end employers.
Other interested parties are also welcomed to attend the workshop but they would have to take the examination at their own costs. HKUST students face a dynamic environment, filled with complex challenges that need to be addressed by transdisciplinary and innovative solutions, according to Prof. King Chow, Acting Dean of Students at HKUST.
He noted that HKUST believes everyone should be entrepreneurial – curious about the world, driven, collaborative and risk-embracing. These are key qualities of future talents. The University’s leadership is delighted to join hands with the social media company to nurture future digital talents by offering different learning opportunities for students from HKUST and other local and global universities.
Meanwhile, the social media giant will also launch a “Digital Marketing Master Class for NGOs” in collaboration with The Hong Kong Council of Social Service Institute to equip NGO practitioners with the necessary skills, knowledge and resources to cope with the rising challenges and changing dynamics of the social environment. Students who complete the workshops and obtain certificates may have the opportunity to work together with selected NGOs on their digital marketing campaigns.
The Global Digital Talent Acquisition Market was valued at US$41.2 billion in 2019 and is expected to reach US$79.6 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 8.58% during the forecast period. According to the report, based on skill segment, AI developers are the fastest-growing sub-segment in the digital talent acquisition market owing to numerous platforms that have been created to upscale digital talent skills over the years, as the emergence of AI in talent management.