Education and Careers Expo 2006 opened at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center Thursday.

Co-organized by the Labor Department of Hong Kong government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the Expo has entered its 16th anniversary.

The Expo has pulled together a record 489 exhibitors, including 68 career exhibitors and 421 education exhibitors.

"The Education and Careers Expo would provide information on the employment market and education opportunities for visitors to map out their future," Hong Kong Permanent Secretary for Economic Development and Labor Cheung Kin-chung said at the opening ceremony.

Cheung said the rich and first-hand information at the Expo would certainly help job-seekers make sensible decisions at their career crossroads. "To reap the greatest benefits from the economic upturn and the improvement in employment, young people have to keep abreast with the latest developments in the labor market," he added.

"They will then be able to 'explore the world of opportunities' which is exactly the theme of the Education and Careers Expo 2006, " Cheung said.

The career exhibitors at the expo include government departments, private enterprises, professional associations and vocational training bodies. There are also two theme zones on the financial planning industry, the tourism and retailing industry, which will provide one-stop career guidance for those who are interested in joining the professions.

More than 400 local and overseas educational institutions participate in the Expo. They offer a wide-range of study programs in Hong Kong, Europe, Australia, the United States as well as the Chinese mainland.

A number of career seminars will be held later. The seminars will cover topics such as market trend, job-seeking strategy, career opportunities in business management, banking, financial and engineering sectors.

The Expo is open from Thursday until Sunday.