A recruitment centre set up by the Civil Service Bureau had to cope with more than 16,000 job applications to be clerical officers and secretaries within three months after it was set up in October.

Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan said on Facebook yesterday that the recruitment centre received more than 7,000 assistant clerical officer, 5,000 clerical assistant and 4,000 personal secretary II job applications.

"We have been making orderly arrangements for applicants to undergo skill tests and selection interviews at the recruitment centre, with the target of issuing the first batch of appointment letters next month," Yeung said.

She said the centre would strengthen year-round recruitment publicity to attract more applications for the posts of clerical and secretarial grades.

The centre will participate in the four-day Education and Careers Expo held by Trade and Development Council starting January 25, to acquaint people with work that clerical and secretarial grade officers have to cope with.

The centre will also hold three to four seminars this year targeting secondary school students to acquaint them with the organization of government and civil service to facilitate those who wish to pursue a career in public service in early career planning.

The recruitment centre at Wan Chai commenced operations on 6 October 2023, providing one-stop, job application processing for the posts of assistant clerical officer, clerical assistant and personal secretary II, so as to speed up the recruitment process and enable applicants to know the results as soon as possible.

The jobs are open to applications by all permanent residents, and students pursuing a bachelor's degree and graduating next year or in 2025 can also apply. They also have to pass Basic Law and national security law tests first.