One of the most anticipated events every year is the summer internship programme at SFT, which provides talented students with the valuable opportunity to jumpstart their career. Since 2018, the programme has offered unique opportunities for students to work on real projects alongside industry professionals, which provide them with valuable hands-on experience and the ability to apply classroom knowledge to real-life situations while building their professional networks. The students are also a source of high-calibre interns for the fashion industry who cultivates them into valuable assets for our industrial partners.
The economy and prospects of Hong Kong have improved visibly in the first half of 2023, which have subsequently led to the improvement of the labour market. SFT students also benefit because there are more summer internship opportunities. This year, 34 local and international reputable companies are offering 97 openings, which attracted hundreds of applications from our undergraduate students. Among these companies, SFT is excited to welcome new partners including Hermès, Fashion Clinic, Agnes b, J Crew, Rag & Co, and Swire Resources Ltd.
To assist students in preparation for a successful application and productive internship, SFT has specially invited HR senior executives of Loro Piana and The Children's Place to host training workshops.
To further expand the programme, SFT launched the Summer Internship Partnership Scheme which allows our partners to employ more student interns or extend the duration of the internship with the same budget, thus offering more flexibility and options. Our aim is to strengthen partnerships with the fashion industry and provide the best possible opportunities to our students to enhance their competence through this win-win situation for both our students and partners.