In September 2026 the HKSAR Government published its Report on Strategies for an Ageing Society, listing “smart ageing” among cross-bureau priorities. In the same broader climate, the Digital Policy Office (DPO) is running the “Smart Silver” Enriched ICT Training Programme for the Elderly (2026–2028)—a classroom track that helps seniors who already have basic digital skills practise AI assistants, digital payments and cyber safety.
What is the Enriched ICT Training Programme?
According to the DPO, the “Smart Silver” Enriched ICT Training Programme for the Elderly has been offered since 2019 and has been well received. A new two-year round began in March 2026. On 20 April 2026 the DPO announced that enrolment for the new round was open from that month, with all courses free of charge.
The target group is clear: people aged 60 or above with basic information and communications technology (ICT) knowledge. The stated aim is to enrich elderly people’s knowledge of digital technologies and help them master the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies, so they can embrace digital living.
Who designs and teaches it—and at what scale?
Courses are designed and delivered by three university-operated Elder Academies:
- Elder Academy at Hong Kong Metropolitan University
- Jockey Club Institute of Ageing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
- Research Centre for Gerontology and Family Studies, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
The DPO press release says this round is expected to offer more than 170 classes over two years, benefitting more than 4,000 elderly participants. A spokesman also noted that, since the programme’s launch in 2019, cumulative attendance has exceeded 19,000.
What is taught: AI assistants, e-payment, cyber safety
The DPO website and GIA list course areas that go beyond smart healthcare and cyber security to more advanced topics, including:
- AI and smart assistants
- Blockchain and digital payments
- Robots and autonomous driving
- IT in the low-altitude economy
- Basic coding and computational thinking
On the ground, academy class lists translate those themes into everyday titles. PolyU’s Research Centre for Gerontology and Family Studies, under its “Digital Horizons” schedule for Q3 2026 (September–November), has offered classes such as “Smart Assistant Helper,” “Cyber Security Steady Stance,” “E-Wallet Payment Ready,” and “Exploring the New World of AI.” CUHK’s Jockey Club Institute of Ageing programme overview likewise lists themes such as “AI Basics and Smart Assistant Applications” and “Alert Network Anti-Fraud Guide,” alongside blockchain and digital payments, data privacy and cyber security.
In short, “AI, e-payment and cyber safety” are not slogans alone—they appear in published course menus and are delivered through district-level Elder Academy classes. Quotas, venues and enrolment windows change by intake; readers should check the current academy notices.
How to enrol and where information lives
The DPO says course information is posted on the “Smart Silver” Elderly IT Learning Portal (https://www.it2.gov.hk/enriched_training/, Chinese only). Learners may also contact the three funded Elder Academies directly. The DPO page lists phone numbers, email addresses and course web links for each academy.
In practice, academies typically require age 60 or above, basic digital knowledge, and often a personal smartphone; some classes set attendance thresholds, and places may be filled by ballot or first-come, first-served. After an intake closes, applicants wait for the next round or check another academy’s schedule.
What this means for everyday digital life
What can be checked is that digital inclusion here is broken into enrolable classes with published contacts: seniors are invited into classrooms to practise smart assistants, e-wallets and anti-fraud awareness, rather than being told only that “technology matters.” Compared with community-level “Smart Silver” digital support measures, the Enriched programme is pitched at learners who already have a basic foundation and want to go further.
For readers focused on daily digital life, the next step is concrete: open the Elderly IT Learning Portal or call the relevant Elder Academy, see whether the current intake offers AI-assistant, e-payment or cyber-safety classes, and enrol if eligible. Whether classroom practice becomes habit—QR payments at the market, online booking, spotting scam messages—still depends on personal drilling and course design. Officially, though, those themes are written into the 2026–2028 course framework, with a public enrolment path.
Primary sources
- Digital Policy Office: “Smart Silver” Enriched ICT Training Programme for the Elderly (2026-2028) https://www.digitalpolicy.gov.hk/en/our_work/digital_government/digital_inclusion/ict_training_programmes_for_elderly/
- Press release: Courses under new round of “Smart Silver” Enriched ICT Training Programme for the Elderly open for enrolment (2026-04-20) https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202604/20/P2026042000262.htm
- “Smart Silver” Elderly IT Learning Portal (enriched training) https://www.it2.gov.hk/enriched_training/
- PolyU Research Centre for Gerontology and Family Studies: Digital Horizons (2026-2028) https://www.polyu.edu.hk/apss/iaa/hk/research/projects/dei/2026-2028-dpo-new/
- CUHK Jockey Club Institute of Ageing: Enriched ICT Training Programme https://www.ioa.cuhk.edu.hk/cuhkict/
- (One-sentence context) Press release: Government releases Report on Strategies for an Ageing Society (2026-09-18) https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202609/18/P2026091800285.htm
