MTR technician, winner at global vocational competition, will apply insights to job

A Hong Kong technician who won a global prize for train repair at an international competition for vocational skills has pledged to apply insights from the competition to his job, as he recalled three days of intense examination to fix railway system faults.

Gordon Tang Kwong-tai, 22, an employee of the MTR Corporation for four years, said his participation in the WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai last week was a journey of determination that broadened his horizons as he challenged peers from around the world and went on to win a silver medal in his category.

“This competition is quite niche but I hope to contribute in this field, as well as show my skills in the international arena. I hope I can apply the knowledge learned from the competition to my job at the MTR,” Tang told a radio programme on Tuesday.

Tang was part of a 41-member Hong Kong team that clinched 15 medals in this year’s competition, marking the city’s largest delegation to date and a record number of accolades at the tournament known as the Olympics for vocational skills.

Hong Kong contestants won medals in a wide range of subjects, including concrete construction work, cybersecurity and patisserie and confectionery skills.

Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin attended the prize presentation ceremony in Shanghai on Sunday. She exchanged views with contestants, praised them for putting in their best efforts and boosting the recognition of vocational education in society.

Tang had competed in the rail vehicle technology trade category and was the top scorer in the Hong Kong delegation.

He said the biggest challenge was identifying the cause of mechanical faults and maintaining stamina throughout the three days of competition.

“What I learned from this competition was that … how I responded in the moment [really mattered] and time management was pivotal,” Tang said.

His tasks included checks and repairs on train door systems, pantographs and bogies – both railway components – as well as malfunction checks.

Tang said malfunction checks were the most difficult, with contestants having to identify the cause of a fault by considering numerous possibilities, then making the corresponding fix.

“Some faults were sneakily elusive. Organisers would paste stickers showing cracks in the nooks and crannies for us to locate them,” Tang recalled.

The technician said he relied mostly on observation and used a flashlight to identify faults at the bottom of train carriages and in welding joints – tasks that were similar to his daily duties.

However, such tasks carried additional strain over the three days of competition, which required him to deal with a long list of situations and maintain concentration for a sustained period of time.

“On the third day, the task was train door checks, which was my best area. However, after two days of intense competition, my mental state wasn’t ideal and I felt stressed,” Tang said.

“By the final task, I told myself that I must persevere and focus on giving my all in [handling] every detail.”

Tang, who graduated from the MTR Corporation’s railway technical trainee scheme, had undergone additional training for 18 months to prepare for the competition.

During the practice sessions, his employer arranged for Tang to practise checks and repairs on different kinds of train carriages and railway components.

He was also sent on multiple training trips to mainland China to exchange knowledge with mainland counterparts and familiarise himself with the tools and scenarios he would eventually face in the competition.

Hong Kong’s rate of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) was six per cent as of June this year, with a Legislative Council report in May putting the 2025 figure at 6.3 per cent – nearly double the overall unemployment rate.

The city’s current rate is higher than what its regional competitors Singapore and Japan recorded in recent years. According to the Singapore government, the city state’s NEET rate stood at 4.1 per cent in 2024, while an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development report put Japan’s rate at 3.7 per cent in 2023.

Observers earlier said that a shrinking demand for junior roles, job market mismatch and comfortable home environments had contributed to Hong Kong’s higher rate and urged authorities to boost training and apprenticeships for youngsters.

Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung, chairman of the Vocational Training Council since January, previously told the South China Morning Post that the institution’s curriculum was constantly adjusted based on technological developments.