Taipei City Government

Mayor Ko Wen-je attended the result presentation of the city-sponsored oversea vocational training and cultural exchange program on November 30.
During his address, Ko observed that the island’s foreign workers outnumber unemployed people, a fact that can be attributed to structural unemployment. The “skills gap” has reached a point where Taiwan must take measures to transform local occupational education.
This year, students from Nangang Vocational High School and Shilin High School of Commerce embarked on trips to Germany and Japan in three groups to study mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and commercial design.
Ko noted that the city government highly supports high school students to take part in study programs abroad for the purposes of acquiring techniques while learning about cultures of other countries. Such experience will not only help them broaden their visions but also serve as a way to make Taipei an international city with a global vision.
After listening to the presentations, the mayor showed great interest in the models made by the students, inquiring them about the motivations and process behind their works. Ko reckoned that the city government will conduct evaluations of the oversea study achievements and consider whether to expand the scale of such projects.