National Skills Competition kicks off in Taipei
全國技能競賽在台北拉開序幕
| TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The 55th National Skills Competition, themed "Beyond the Best," is taking place from Wednesday to Monday at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, with free admission for visitors from Thursday to Saturday.
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) and Labor Minister Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) attended the opening ceremony. Hung said the competition, organized by the Ministry of Labor, takes place across more than 70,000 square meters of exhibition space and features 1,231 young competitors nationwide, per CNA. Hung said the ministry also planned display and experience zones for this year's event. The display zone showcases the development and application of skills through interactive features like touch screens and challenge activities. The experience zone features themes including 3D printing, EV maintenance, metal welding, solar car assembly, drone soccer, and essential oil production. According to the ministry, the top three winners will have the opportunity to represent Taiwan at the 3rd WorldSkills Asia in Taipei in November, as well as the 48th WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai in September 2026. Taiwan showcased its skills at the 47th WorldSkills Competition in France, where it earned 43 medals, including gold in the woodworking and refrigeration and air conditioning categories. With 86% of its competitors taking home medals, Taiwan secured fourth place out of 69 participating countries. WorldSkills Asia will return to Taiwan after 30 years, with over 500 participants from 28 countries showcasing their skills across 44 categories. The ministry hopes the event will promote innovation and foster greater technical exchange between Taiwan and the global community. Cho said the government has invested NT$65 billion (US$2.04 billion) to promote vocational education programs. This investment aims to help Taiwan's technical colleges develop specialized curricula and strengthen industry-academia collaboration. Since 2022, the government has also been providing subsidies to 18 universities to establish practical training facilities. Additionally, Cho added that the Cabinet is promoting the Taiwan Global Pathfinders Initiative to help Taiwanese youth aged 15-30 start businesses or gain internships at foreign companies or international organizations. This year, 660 young people will participate in the program abroad. |
|
| Carol Yang Taiwan News, Staff Writer | |
| 2025-07-17 |
