ITC STEM Internship Scheme

All companies/organisations are welcomed to participate in the Scheme to offer I&T-related internship places which are not cross-boundary in nature (i.e. work from home in Hong Kong as the principal nature of the internship while the company is in the Mainland/overseas, or vice versa).

Participating employers need not be I&T companies, so long as the internship places are I&T-related and full-time. The Scheme has adopted a broad definition of I&T. An internship place is regarded as I&T-related if its actual work contains sufficient I&T elements (e.g. technology-related intellectual property work, digital marketing, data analysis for the manufacturing industry, etc.).

An eligible employer should meet the following criteria:

• hold a valid Business Registration Certificate (BRC) or another recognised registered certificate/ license at the time of internship provision;

• ensure that all businesses and activities arranged for the student interns are lawful, free from fraud, and morally acceptable;

• provide true, accurate, and relevant documents (such as BRC, employment agreements/ contracts, wage and attendance records, etc.) for spot examinations and verification as requested by the ITC; and

• not receive any other subsidies from the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China for engaging student interns under the Scheme. 

• make a declaration on details of the numbers of student interns engaged/ to be engaged from all participating universities under the Scheme at any one time during the internship period (template at Annex A). The declaration is to avoid the employer recruiting student interns from different universities concurrently and the total number of which may be beyond its own capacity. 

Employers who wish to claim reimbursement under the Scheme should not recruit student interns directly and should do so via the participating universities. The internship should also not commence prior to university’s approval of the application and receipt of a duly signed employment agreement.

Insurance Coverage

• The employer is required to provide employee’s compensation insurance to cover their liabilities under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance, as well as at common law, for any work-related injuries sustained by the student intern. 

   

Supervision

• Each student intern will be assigned a supervisor who will provide guidance and support throughout the internship.  At the end of the internship, the supervisor will be invited to complete a “Performance Assessment Form” for the student intern(s).  Additionally, the supervisor is encouraged to maintain an attendance record to assist with allowance calculations and disbursement purposes.

Employment Agreement

• For the avoidance of doubt and any complications on the understanding of remuneration to be provided by the participating employer/ institution to the student intern for the internship, it is advisable that the agreed remuneration to be paid and in turn received by the student intern, including salary, wage and any expected allowance, including the allowance under the Scheme, where applicable, should be clearly stated in the employment agreement for the internship and agreed between the employer and the intern, before commencement of work. It should be also expressly stated in the employment agreement that the internship would claim reimbursement under the Scheme.

• If the actual period worked is less than 28 calendar days after the deduction of any unpaid leave, no allowance will be disbursed to the student via Lingnan University. In such cases, the employer remains responsible for paying the student according to the employment agreement and in compliance with all relevant Ordinances. This amount will not be reimbursed, regardless of which party initiates the early termination.

• If the actual internship duties differ from the information provided during registration, are unrelated to I&T, or could not fulfill the Scheme's requirements, Lingnan University reserves the right to decline the reimbursement request. In such cases, the employer shall be responsible for paying the student intern the agreed remuneration, including salary, wages, and any expected allowances, as stipulated in the employment agreement

Surprise Visits

• ITC has updated its guidelines, which include a requirement for company visits as part of the Scheme. Agreeing to these visits is a condition set by the ITC for both employers and students to remain eligible for the Scheme and to receive the allowance. To support this requirement, our Career Advising Services team at the Office of Student Affairs will be organising a visit to a random organisation. This visit is a valuable opportunity for us to better understand your business, the job duties of the interns, the working environment, and supervision, as detailed in your registration for participation in the Scheme. To support this requirement, our Career Advising Services team at the Office of Student Affairs will be conducting unannounced on-site visits to participating organisations.

• Employers’ registration for the Scheme (Summer 2026) is open until 10 May 2026. The employer registration is currently CLOSED due to an overwhelming response.

  Note 

  *A business domain email is required for registration. 

  *Please prepare a valid Business Registration Certificate, the expiry date should be no earlier than the internship end date. 

• All internships should be on a full-time basis and conducted between June and August 2026 (for Summer 2026). Remote working where the participating employer and the internship are in different territories is not allowed.

• The minimum internship duration is 28 calendar days (i.e., 4 consecutive weeks), and the total duration is advised to last no more than 59 consecutive days. 

• The first and last days of the internship should be working days. In case Saturday and/or Sunday are regarded as working days in the employment agreement, they can be included in the allowance calculation.

• The allowance for each student intern is HK$11,790 per month or HK$393 per day.  The total duration is advised to last no more than 59 consecutive days.  The aforementioned allowance will be disbursed to students via Lingnan University. The agreed remuneration to be paid and in turn received by the student intern, including salary, wage and any expected allowance, including the allowance under the Scheme, where applicable, should be clearly stated in the employment agreement for the internship and agreed between the employer and the intern, before commencement of work. It should be also expressly stated in the employment agreement that the internship would claim reimbursement under the Scheme.

• Participating employers may pay the student interns an honorarium on top of the allowance under the Scheme with reference to their internal policies, industry benchmarks, or market rates.

• The calculation of total honorarium refers to [the allowance under the Scheme at the rate of $11,790 for 30 days (i.e. $393 per day) plus any additional honorarium paid by the employer (by month or averaged by month) on top of the allowance under the Scheme] X [total no. of days of internship period minus no. of days of unpaid leave].

• Allowance may NOT be disbursed to students who fail to complete the internship as planned. 

• The employer is expected to support the student intern in completing the required necessary documents for disbursement after the internship and to communicate with us as early as possible if any problem issues arise arises that would may affect the allowance disbursement.  The OSA will arrange the disbursement upon confirmation and approval of the aforementioned documents, based on the actual period of internship, provided that the actual working period is no less than four weeks.  

• If the actual working period is less than four weeks, NO allowance from the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China will be provided to students, regardless of whether the early termination was initiated by the student or the employer. 

1. Employers complete the Online Employer Registration Form by 10 May 2026. The employer registration is currently CLOSED due to an overwhelming response.
   Note
   *A business domain email is required for registration. 

   *Please prepare a valid Business Registration Certificate, the expiry date should be no earlier than the internship end date. 

2. The OSA will review the internship details and BRC and inform respective employers within one week whether the submitted vacancies can be included in the Scheme. 

3. The OSA will assess factors such as the company's size, the learning values of the internship to determine the quota for each employer. The University holds sole discretion in this matter.

4. The job postings will be published on our intranet for students’ applications.  

5. The OSA will review the applications and nominate students for employers’ consideration.

6. Employers will receive details of student nominees (if any) from the OSA from time to time.  

7. Employers are welcome to contact students directly for their own screening and selection process, if applicable. 

8. Before making an offer to a Lingnan University student, employers are strongly encouraged to check the following:  
   • The student is legally employable in Hong Kong. 
   • The student is eligible to work as a “Work Experience Student” under the Minimum Wage Ordinance if no minimum wage is provided  (please click here for details).
   • The student has not previously hired by the same employer in the same academic year. 
   • The student has not received/is not receiving the allowance under the Scheme for more than 3 months in the same academic year prior to the current job opportunity. 

9. To secure the funding, employers must contact the OSA before making the offer to confirm the candidate's eligibility for the Scheme.

10. After receiving confirmation from the OSA, the employer can contact the eligible candidate and sign an employment agreement.  Employers are required to submit i) a signed agreement and ii) a “Confirmation of Placement” to the OSA at least one week before the internship begins.  The OSA reserves the right to allocate the quota to another candidate if the required documents are not received in time. 

11. Please ensure that all employment arrangements comply with the Employment Ordinance, the Minimum Wage Ordinance, the Mandatory Provident Fund Ordinance, and other related regulations.  For more information, please visit the websites of the Labour Department and Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority.  

We emphasize the importance of vigilance and upholding integrity, honesty, and professionalism throughout your internship. Any attempt to misrepresent, falsify, or manipulate internship arrangements (e.g., fake placements, no-show internships) is strictly prohibited and may result in:

• Disqualification from the Scheme
• Disciplinary action from the institution
• Legal consequences

Be Alert to Employment Traps – Watch for red flags in internship offers, such as:

• Requests for excessive or irrelevant personal or financial information

• Upfront payments or fees to secure the internship

• Internships that lack real work or supervision

• Offers that appear too good to be true or lack clarity regarding roles and responsibilities

How to Protect Yourself

• Apply for internships through trusted platforms or approved channels

• Verify the legitimacy of the hiring company or supervisor

• Keep records of all communications, employment agreements, contracts, and work done during the internship

• Consult and report any suspicious activities to OSA

Pre-Internship Briefing Materials

Take about 10–15 minutes to go through videos that will help you familiarize yourself with tips for transitioning to the workplace and avoid common employment traps.

• Part I: Transitioning to the Workplace
• Part II: Notes on Employment Traps

Related Information

• A Guide For Students Seeking Summer Jobs
• Anti-Fraud Information

• Beware of Employment Traps

• Latest Trend of Employment Fraud

• Upon receiving an offer from a company/organisation, YOU MUST contact the OSA to verify your eligibility before signing the employment agreement and the “Confirmation of Placement”. 

• Once the OSA confirms your eligibility, you can proceed to sign the employment agreement and the “Confirmation of Placement” with the company and commence the internship.

   

IMPORTANT NOTE

• The minimum internship duration is 28 calendar days (i.e., 4 consecutive weeks).  

• Both the first and last days of the internship should be working days.  If Saturdays and/or Sundays are considered working days per the employment agreement, these can be included in the allowance calculation.

• Please ensure you comply with the established work schedule and maintain full attendance.  If you need to take leave, it will be treated as unpaid leave.  It is important to discuss any leave requirements with your supervisor in advance, as this will affect the amount of allowance disbursement you receive.  

• The allowance for each student intern is HK$11,790 per month or HK$393 per day.

• The calculation of total honorarium refers to [the allowance under the Scheme at the rate of $11,790 for 30 days (i.e. $393 per day) plus any additional honorarium paid by the employer (by month or averaged by month) on top of the allowance under the Scheme] X [total no. of days of internship period minus no. of days of unpaid leave].

• The allowance may NOT be disbursed to students who do not complete the internship as planned.

• Each participating student may receive the allowance under the scheme for multiple internships within the same academic year (e.g. September 2026 – August 2027), up to a maximum of 90 days at HK$34,470, provided that the employers are different and the internship periods do not overlap.  

• The  allowance will be disbursed to students via Lingnan University Finance Office upon completion of the internship.  Students are required to submit the necessary documents for disbursement within 14 days after completing the internship. The expected disbursement is expected to be made in September 2026.  However, if further clarifications, information verifications, or revisions are required, the disbursement process may take longer, and interns might not receive the disbursement as anticipated.

Please click HERE to view the job list.