President Tsai Ing-wen welcomed Sept. 11 overseas compatriot students from Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam enrolled in Taiwan vocational institutions, saying they will play an important role in strengthening ties between the nation and its key partners in Southeast Asia.
 
Tsai said she hopes these students can facilitate cultural exchanges with their foreign peers. She added that such efforts can strengthen the relationships between Taiwan and Southeast Asian countries.
 
The president made her remarks at an opening ceremony for a study program for overseas compatriot students in southern Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City. The three-year program is overseen and sponsored by the Overseas Community Affairs Council.
 
Good vocational skills are the key to building a successful enterprise, Tsai noted, adding that the government is committed to developing a more comprehensive technical and vocational education system.
 
Regarding the students’ future careers, Tsai conveyed her hope that they will fully utilize their language abilities and professional skills to build connections between Taiwan companies and businesses in Southeast Asia.
 
The president also noted that, following graduation, students who do not hold ROC identification cards are welcome to pursue employment in Taiwan under a scoring system implemented by the Workforce Development Agency under the Ministry of Labor.
 
Over the past three years, more than 2,500 overseas compatriot students have been recruited by Taiwan firms in accordance with the scoring system, which examines graduates’ education levels, language skills and work experience.
 
This year, admissions to the vocational study program have increased 37 percent year on year to 1,034, up from 754 in 2016. Currently, over 2,200 overseas compatriot students are receiving training at 12 local vocational education institutions, according to the OCAC. (CPY-E)