Technological and Vocational Education Reform Project - Expertise Training

At an Executive Yuan meeting the Ministry of Education presented a report on its "Technological and Vocational Education Reform Project - Expertise Training" aimed at improving the practical aspects of technological and vocational education and enhancing training of students in specialized skills. It is hoped that implementation of this project will produce specialized workers with the ability to perform, meet job requirements and compete in related fields. In turn, this will solidify the foundation of Taiwan's economic progress.

In the past, technological and vocational education already made significant contributions to the country by supplying a large workforce for Taiwan's economic development and training technical specialists of various levels required for different projects. However, facing global competition and industrial transformation, technological and vocation education requires reexamination and redefinition in order to improve both the content and methodology and, above all, to reform, innovate and better the system on the existing foundation and continue to provide the drive for Taiwan's economic growth.

The objectives of this project include improving teaching and learning environments, strengthening the ties between school teaching and industrial needs, and training specialists. The short-term strategy is targeted at reinforcing the mechanism for skill certification, enhancing teaching of practical training, introducing complementary resources from industries, expanding industrial-academic cooperation on training, improving off-campus practical training programs, upgrading facilities in vocational high schools, assisting technological colleges to establish specialty fields, as well as establishing an accreditation system to evaluate such specialties. The mid- and long-term strategies are directed toward ensuring consistency in expertise training and perfecting licensing systems for various professions.

Each strategy is designed to maximize practicality in technological and vocational education and mold school teaching to meet the demands of industries - such as a gradual increase in teachers' practical experience in related industries, introduction of complementary resources from industries, improvement of off-campus practical training, etc. in the hope of integrating industrial demand with school teaching as well as shortening the gap between school education and practical application in order to train students for the job market, increase their employment qualifications, and raise Taiwan's competitiveness.

In addition, establishment of specialty fields of different schools shall be aimed at developing industries with Taiwanese characteristics and international competitiveness to build up the human resources these industries require. Schools will receive assistance to develop particular features in line with existing advantages and integrated local industrial resources to become institutions with certain strengths in technological and vocational education. The status of such schools will be upgraded; industries will have all the human resources they need; and Taiwan will be stronger when competing in global markets.