Local employers here in Hong Kong often complain about the restricted worldview some of their newly recruited university graduates have because of their cocooned life.

This lamentably restricted range of experience is nothing new. Here's a quotation from almost 2,000 years ago: "Short, therefore, is Man's life, and narrow the corner wherein he dwells." That was one of the random thoughts, written by an old man while on a military campaign in Europe. That old man was the stoic philosopher and Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Though our world has much to offer, most only manage to experience a tiny fraction of it. This inevitably is reflected in their narrow vision and restricted range of thought.

When a young person proceeds directly from school to university, without ever having had a holiday job or otherwise widened their life experiences beyond campus and family life, he or she knows only the world of academia and their close-knit circle of relatives and friends. This unfortunate phenomenon can be particularly harmful when that person later goes on to become a school or college teacher. How can such a person offer reliable guidance to his students when he himself has led a sheltered existence all his/her life.

To its credit, the Hong Kong Institute of Education, which prepares our local teachers for their school careers, these days actively encourages their potential trainees, as well as their current students, to become involved with local, regional and overseas internships and community service activities. Indeed, some of these mind-expanding activities are financially supported by the Learning Enhancement Fund, which is all for the good. It works the other way round, too; Hong Kong students at the institute can rub shoulders with visiting interns - such as students who come from the famous Oxford University and Goethe University Frankfurt.

Generations of young people from Britain have had the chance, through BunaCamp, to obtain paid work or volunteer placements overseas in places as varied as New Zealand, Nepal, South Africa and North America. When, a long ago, I was a student myself, they set up a memorable summer job for me in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Canada. Their programs, too, also work in the opposite direction. Their Intern-in-Britain program arranges for overseas degree-level students and recent graduates to be placed in Britain for up to six months, with their certificate of sponsorship provided by BunaCamp.

The British consulate-general here in Hong Kong recently announced the Youth Mobility Scheme, jointly with Hong Kong's Education and Manpower Bureau. This admirable scheme, which starts operating this month, offers Hong Kong youngsters aged from 18 to 30 the chance to live, work or study in Britain for up to two years, and 1,000 places are now available for our Hong Kong youngsters to go there each year. As Caroline Wilson, the British consul-general commented, this is a golden opportunity for the scheme's participants to broaden their horizons. Similarly, 1,000 young British people a year can now stay in Hong Kong, under these arrangements for the reciprocal exchange of young people from these two places.

Then there are all manner of charitable or commercially arranged placements available, giving those taking up exciting opportunities to experience life outside Hong Kong, over the short- to medium-term; in any case for far longer than could be done on a holiday. Such organizations as Projects Abroad and Voluntary Service Overseas offer a wide range of destinations, as well as varied placements, for people of all age groups.

A few years ago, the idea of taking a gap year off from academic studies became widely popular in Europe. Under this now-common approach, school-leavers often go overseas, as volunteers or workers, for up to a year before entering university - which they can then do a year older and certainly a lot wiser. Their enhanced appreciation of the real world, outside academia and their familiar surroundings - can add a lot to their maturity which in turn would undoubtedly make them more appreciative and attentive students on their return to university life, and indeed later on to their work life, too.

So far, taking a gap year off studies has yet to become widely popular with Hong Kong students. Most still proceed directly from school to university. Since most university students here still live at home with their parents, just as they did at school, another advantage of overseas universities - living on campus together with other students from around the world - has denied them. This is largely because of the shortage of university accommodation for local students. They remain commuters from home each day. This restricts their opportunities, as would also their not participating much in the wide range of extra-curricular clubs and other activities available at their place of learning.

Hong Kong's coming generations of young people, and eventual new employees, would be well-advised to take up some of these opportunities to widen their experience and broaden their minds. Hong Kong, as an international city with an international-minded workforce, could reap as much benefits from this as the youngsters could themselves.

The author is a Hong Kong-based commentator. He has been involved in the world of education, at different levels, for over 30 years and in more than 30 countries.

(HK Edition 04/08/2014 page9)