Ministry temporarily halts initiative to employ international degree holders
Rewritten Article:
The Ministry of Labor in Taiwan has hit the brakes on a proposal that would've enabled foreign students, who've graduated from Taiwanese universities, to work in six distinct, intermediate-skill jobs. This move comes in response to feedback during a public comment period for the draft amendments.
Initially, the ministry had proposed this plan to navigate Taiwan's growing labor shortage. The National Development Council projects that Taiwan may struggle with a workforce deficit of 400,000 by 2030.
The six job categories under consideration were assistant nurses, intercity and city bus drivers, safety management system personnel, inventory clerks, cargo vehicle drivers, and cargo vehicle driving assistants, as per the ministry's proposal.
However, the updated regulations, released on Wednesday, failed to include this provision for foreign students to access these job sectors.
Su Yu-kuo, division chief at the Workforce Development Agency, offered some insight, stating that the ministry chose to delay the proposed measure following the suggestions and feedback gathered during the public comment period.
The ministry is now gearing up for internal discussions and meetings to deliberate on and develop additional measures before making any alterations to the work regulations.
Previously shared data from the Ministry of Labor suggested that allowing overseas students to occupy these intermediate-skill jobs could inject around 6,500 workers into Taiwan's workforce.
It's worth noting that in today's global context, there's increased scrutiny over foreign students and work permits, particularly in countries like the United States, where visa cancellations and immigration status terminations have caused turmoil for international students and graduates seeking temporary employment post-study. It's plausible that Taiwan's Ministry of Labor has halted this program to meticulously assess the policy's impacts on the local workforce, immigration, and national security concerns before proceeding.
- The Taiwanese workforce may face a workforce deficit of 400,000 by 2030, according to the National Development Council.
- The Ministry of Labor initially proposed allowing foreign students who graduated from Taiwanese universities to work in six intermediate-skill jobs, but recent regulations do not include this provision.
- Su Yu-kuo, division chief at the Workforce Development Agency, explained that the ministry delayed the proposed measure due to feedback received during the public comment period.
- Allowing foreign students to occupy intermediate-skill jobs could potentially inject around 6,500 workers into Taiwan's workforce, as suggested by previous data from the Ministry of Labor.
