Our staff are our important asset. Apart from allocating resources to staff development and training, we take the physical and mental well-being of our colleagues at our heart. In addition to providing a safe working environment, we have actively lined up a wide range of recreational activities to help our staff relax and strengthen team spirit.

Over the years, we have provided diversified training programmes to enhance the professional knowledge and skills of new and existing staff. In 2017-18, we organised a total of 638 training courses for our staff, including induction courses, in-house training, duty visits, overseas conferences, as well as various seminars and workshops, etc. The average number of training hours per capita during the year was 35, an increase of 4.79% compared with the previous year and exceeding the territory-wide average of 18.1 by 93.4% ¹.

Induction Courses

We arrange induction courses for new recruits to help them understand our performance pledges. In 2017-18, we held five induction courses for a total of 214 newcomers.

Occupational Safety and Health Training

To safeguard the occupational safety and health (OSH) of our colleagues, we organised as many as 21 OSH and other safety training courses for more than 2,000 employees in 2017-18. Course details and attendance breakdown are as follows:

Overseas Duty Visits

In addition to local training programmes, we encourage our colleagues to conduct overseas duty visits to broaden their horizons. Through exchanges with overseas experts, we can study and learn from their experience, which help us adopt cutting-edge technologies and hence, optimise our services.

Duty Visit to Pipe Technology at Germany

In May 2017, our staff visited Germany to attend the 12^th Pipeline Technology Conference (PTC) in Berlin and Ro-Ka-Tech, an exhibition and trade fair for sewage treatment techniques and equipment in Kassel. The delegation also toured a local polyethylene (PE) pipe production plant and construction site to learn about PE pipe laying works, and engaged in exchanges with a drainage services company in Osnabrück.

The 7^th International Water Association Asia Pacific Regional Group (IWA-ASPIRE) Conference and Exhibition

In September 2017, DSD colleagues attended the 7^th IWA-ASPIRE Conference and Exhibition, a biennial event, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In addition to promoting the 8th IWA-ASPIRE Conference and Exhibition which will be hosted in Hong Kong in 2019, our colleagues exchanged information on the latest development of water resource management strategies and technologies with experts from all over the world. They also deepened their understanding on the development of the local flood prevention and wastewater treatment via a series of site visits.

The Government BIM Symposium and Build Smart Conference cum Duty Visit

In October 2017, our colleagues joined the representatives from the Development Bureau, and the Works Departments on a trip to Singapore for the Government BIM Symposium 2017 and Build Smart Conference 2017 cum Duty Visit. The symposium and conference offered various forums for public sector organisations and industry practitioners to share experience and the latest BIM technologies. DSD staff also visited major architects, engineering consultants and IT companies and exchanged ideas on BIM applications and real-life experience with their senior BIM practitioners.

Amsterdam International Water Week and Duty Visit

In November 2017, our colleague attended the Amsterdam International Water Week 2017 in the Netherlands. He visited sewage treatment plants equipped with advanced sewage or sludge treatment technologies as well as a waste incineration plant of the city. Through taking part in the event and site visits, our colleague has learnt more about cutting-edge sewage and sludge treatment technologies and related engineering systems.

Tokyo International Seminar cum Duty Visit

In December 2017, by invitation, DSD attended the Ecology and Civil Engineering Society International Symposium 2017 held in the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan. Our colleagues shared the Department’s strategies and goals on combating climate change with participants from around the globe, and highlighted our achievements and experience in the academic study of river greening. The delegation also visited the flood prevention and river revitalisation projects of the city, such as Taishi-gawa River Disaster Prevention Centre, Super-levees at Tama River, Tsurumi River Retarding Basin as well as river parks, green walks and rivers in Edogawa City, to gain insight into Japan's technologies and precious experience in flood prevention and river revitalisation.