Taiwan trains sights on attracting foreign talent

Source： Taiwan Today
By Rachel Chan
Bolstering the appeal of Taiwan as an employment destination for top-notch foreign talent is a cornerstone of ROC government policies aimed at enhancing the island’s international competitiveness, Government Information Minister Philip Yang said April 5.

“The government, which attaches great importance to the cultivation of the nation’s human resources, has introduced a program to nurture local professionals and recruit high-level specialists from abroad,” Yang said.

Launched Aug. 15, 2011, the initiative seeks to develop sufficient numbers of quality employees, train personnel for emerging and priority industries, globalize the country’s workforce, enhance the performance of civil servants and strengthen alliances between academia and industry. A budget of NT$60 billion (US$2.03 billion) will be allocated toward the plan by 2013.

Yang said the government is supporting the program with a series of complementary deregulations and incentives targeting foreign professionals. These include increasing the salary cap on overseas specialists working at government-funded organizations, and allowing foreign residents to apply for the same six-year driver’s licenses as ROC nationals.

“The changes comprise a major plank in the government’s policy of transforming Taiwan into an Asia-Pacific hub for talented professionals,” Yang said. (JSM)

Write to Rachel Chan at rachelchan@mail.gio.gov.tw