HKBU-led Jockey Club Multiple Pathways Initiative – CLAP-TECH Pathway Advances VPET in Mainstream Education with New Additions to Its Senior Secondary Programme

• New AI-enabled CLAP-TECH Language Innovation Hub strengthens senior secondary students' language proficiency, equipping them with applied skills and AI literacy.

• New Nurturing Potential Students Programme offers tailored enrichment activities to help high-potential students explore career pathways.
• Enhanced CLAP-TECH programme supports the integration of VPET into mainstream education through a transferable, replicable, school-led delivery model.

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 12 November 2026 - Led by Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) and funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the Jockey Club Multiple Pathways Initiative – CLAP-TECH Pathway (CLAP-TECH) has pioneered Hong Kong's first through-train Vocational and Professional Education and Training (VPET) pathway in mainstream senior secondary education since its launch in 2019. Drawing on insights from the initiative's pilot implementation and guided by a forward-looking vision to prepare students for the evolving workforce, CLAP-TECH has added the CLAP-TECH Language Innovation Hub and the Nurturing Potential Students Programme to its senior secondary programme. Delivered through a tripartite partnership among HKBU, secondary schools, and industry partners, the initiative strengthens a school-led model designed for long-term sustainability.

New AI-Enabled CLAP-TECH Language Innovation Hub connects language learning to real-life industry genres through Project-Based Learning (PBL)

The new CLAP-TECH Language Innovation Hub supports the Education Bureau's Blueprint for Digital Education Development. Through a purpose-built AI learning platform, the language course fosters equitable access to learning and builds student digital competencies. Co-developed by the HKBU Language Centre and secondary-school teachers, the course connects practical industry applications with key themes covered in the HKDSE Chinese and English language curricula. It is taught by teachers within the CLAP-TECH school network as part of the regular school timetable.

Through CLAP-TECH's pioneering tripartite partnership, industry partners have contributed briefs that ground course tasks in real-world workplace scenarios, connecting Chinese and English language learning with authentic forms of communication used in ICT and creative media. The course comprises scaffolded, project-based tasks, turning workplace challenges into learning opportunities across both Chinese and English modules. Students receive timely feedback through the AI learning platform, building students' confidence and applied communication through judgement-free interaction. Along the course, they produce tangible work and develop future-ready competencies, including AI literacy and critical thinking.

"Language proficiency in today's digital workforce requires students to move beyond traditional classroom learning to master practical communication within authentic professional contexts," said Dr. Joshua Chan, Associate Director, Language Centre of Hong Kong Baptist University. "Through project-based learning, our English modules focus on genre analysis and the exploration of authentic materials to strengthen students' applied communication skills and confidence."

"While Chinese is the native language of most of the students, our Chinese modules go far beyond developing language fluency to nurture a deeper sense of identity through an appreciation and understanding of Chinese culture. By integrating technology, including AI-powered platforms, into Chinese language learning, we encourage students to develop creative thinking, critical analysis and essential soft skills alongside their core language skills," said Dr. Ng Hok Chung, Associate Director, Language Centre of Hong Kong Baptist University.

New Nurturing Potential Students Programme enhances structured work-integrated learning experiences

CLAP-TECH's programme has demonstrated its ability to equip students with future-ready skills through experiential career development and applied learning. With the Hong Kong SAR Government identifying AI, the digital economy and technological innovation as priority sectors in its first Five-Year Plan, CLAP-TECH is committed to supporting talent development in these areas.

Equitable access to real-life workplace experiences helps all students develop applied communication, collaboration and problem solving skills. While CLAP-TECH continues to offer structured work-integrated learning experiences for all students, the new Nurturing Potential Students Programme provides additional opportunities to high-potential students nominated by the school partners. These students will benefit from tailored enrichment activities delivered in collaboration with CLAP-TECH's industry partners, including:

• One-to-one career mentoring, with students matched to mentors based on their interests.
• Two- to four-week workplace attachments offering hands-on experience aligned with students' intended pathways.
• Short-term, immersive job shadowing that allows students to observe real-world working environments.

These opportunities deepen students' understanding of industries and workplace expectations, preparing them to make informed choices about their future pathways.

Enabling strategic expansion of VPET in Hong Kong's mainstream secondary schools through a transferable, replicable, school-led delivery model

Mr. Andrew Ho, Director of CLAP-TECH Centre, HKBU, said: "The addition of the CLAP-TECH Language Innovation Hub and Nurturing Potential Students Programme addresses key student needs we have identified over the past seven years. These enhancements also advance our efforts to nurture future talent, in line with the Education Bureau's Blueprint for Digital Education Development and in support of Hong Kong's first Five-Year Plan. At the implementation level, CLAP-TECH has developed a model that enables partner schools to adopt and adapt modular, industry-aligned units, supported by reusable task banks, delivery guides and assessment rubrics. These resources help schools integrate insights from the project into their school-based curricula. By providing practical infrastructure, train-the-trainer resources and structured teaching materials, we have established a framework for sustainable, school-led delivery."

Since its launch in 2019, CLAP-TECH has engaged more than 90 schools and 2,000 students, generating more than 7,000 instances of programme participation. Supported by more than 40 industry partners and over 380 mentors across diverse fields, the project has established a strong foundation for a sustainable school network.

Buddhist Sum Heung Lam Memorial College, Man Kwan Pak Kau College, The Yuen Yuen Institute MFBM Nei Ming Chan Lui Chung Tak Memorial College, Salesians of Don Bosco Ng Siu Mui Secondary School and Queen Elizabeth School Old Students' Association Tong Kwok Wah Secondary School are currently part of the CLAP-TECH's school networks.

Studies have shown that CLAP-TECH graduates reported higher self-assessment scores than their non-participating peers across key attributes, strengthening students' confidence in their soft skills. 90% of CLAP-TECH graduates felt confident making informed decisions about their future pathways based on their interests and abilities, compared with 69% of non-participants.

Appendix:

Overview of CLAP-TECH Language Innovation Hub:

• Bilingual: Designed to meet students' Chinese and English language-learning needs.
• Responsive design: Accessible on mobile devices and laptops to support flexible learning.
• Intelligent features for students:
  • AI support helps learners with lower language proficiency build confidence through judgement-free, scaffolded learning. Support includes guidance on vocabulary, formatting and Chinese language use.
  • AI is embedded directly into Authentic workplace tasks, from designing a hotel marketing leaflet, writing a vlog script, or recording video pitches, drawing on topics commonly featured in the HKDSE.
  • Students must draft their work independently before unlocking AI support, creating a guided cycle of drafting, feedback and revision.
  • GPT-based automated speech recognition supports spoken assessments, providing immediate feedback based on HKDSE grading standards.
• Intelligent features of the platforms for teachers:
  • Human-checked assessment rubrics underpin instant, paperless feedback. Visual heatmaps and task queues help teachers quickly identify students who need additional support.

An AI Logbook provides a clear, time-stamped record of students' work, allowing teachers to compare Draft 1 with an AI-polished version. It captures students' outputs, prompts and AI interactions, enabling teachers and researchers to trace revision processes and the development of students' awareness of their own learning over time.


Hashtag: #CLAPTECH

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Jockey Club Multiple Pathways Initiative – CLAP-TECH Pathway

Launched in 2019 and funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, Jockey Club Multiple Pathways Initiative – CLAP-TECH Pathway (CLAP-TECH) is Hong Kong's first through-train Vocational and Professional Education and Training (VPET) pathway in mainstream senior secondary and post-secondary education. CLAP-TECH is a tripartite partnership among Hong Kong Baptist University, industry partners, and secondary schools. It currently consists of two Applied Learning Courses (i.e. Tech Basics and Multimedia Storytelling) and Higher Diplomas in Data Science and Art Tech Design. The programme equips students with technical and soft skills for the future workforce by incorporating career and life development into the curriculum. Since its establishment, over 40 industry partners have been involved in the programme, guiding and inspiring over 2,000 students from 90 secondary schools, with over 7,000 instances of programme participation. For more details, please visit: https://www.claptech.hk/en/