The Ministry of Education (MOE) encourages technical and vocational colleges to work with their foreign counterparts in the region and develop customized industry-academia collaboration programs to cultivate talents that meet local industry needs. These programs incorporate a large amount of practical training (including industry internship) through which businesses train their future employees and international students horn their practical skills. The students will also learn more about what it is like to work in a Taiwanese company. After they graduate or acquire their certificate, they will be employed either by a company (most likely a Taiwanese one) at home or by the company at which they had their internship, making great contributions. This creates a win-win situation for students and businesses alike.
This type of programs was designed to train international middle or high-skilled workers. A non-degree program like this offers courses in Taiwan or abroad to attract more oversea Chinese or international students with Taiwan’s higher technical education. The pioneering teacher training program provided by National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences has helped enhance professional skills of many Indonesian midwives since 2015. The University now also work with counterparts in Singapore, Vietnam, and Cambodia to offer this program and has trained more than 156 healthcare professionals, including working midwives, professional nurses, and long-term caretakers. The program incorporates international nursing and midwifery practices. Students learn through both theory and clinical courses as well as multifaceted customized technical training. This type of program is a great way to export Taiwan’s excellent technical and vocational education and contribute to the cultivation of skilled workers in the region.
To satisfy the global demand for skill training targeting young people, the MOE has encouraged technical and vocational colleges to start short-term, non-degree skill development programs to train more international youth in Taiwan. The programs were designed to help these young people obtain good job opportunities in their home country and raise their income level. Since 2013, China University of Science and Technology has provided such a program focusing on aircraft maintenance for students from Singapore Polytechnic. The program offers 6-week English training and has trained more than 248 students. Discussions with universities in Thailand, Philippine, and other counties converged by Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy are underway. These programs are valuable to the industries involved, to the economy of the students’ home countries, and to the students’ employment. It is a highlight of the higher technical and vocational education that Taiwan wishes to present to the world.
These programs target international students studying for a 5-year, 2-year, or 4-year bachelor or associate degree. The courses include skill training and internship in relevant fields in Taiwan to increase the number of skilled workers in the region. The goal is to help students with employment in their home country. The programs should equip students with highly practical skills required by the industry and include substantial number of practical courses. In recent years, more and more Taiwanese companies engage in business in India and the Indian economy is growing at an amazing pace. To meet the needs of these companies, WuFeng University has offered a special program for Indian students since 2013. This program is one of a kind in Taiwan. In the program, students are taught both the theoretical side and the practical, operational side of the field. They are required to improve their Mandarin and take a 1-year internship in the last year of the program. These programs show that industry-academia collaboration is an excellent way to train technicians and managers industries desperately need.
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