The education ministry says it is expanding science and technology education in Taiwan to plug a shortfall in tech talent. That was the word from Education Minister Pan Wen-chung on Thursday.
Pan says the ministry will boost Taiwan’s tech talent pool in three ways. First, it will raise quotas for places in science and technology courses at universities around the country. Second, it will nurture interdisciplinary talent, and third, it will launch a tech training program for professionals in other fields.
The ministry says all that should increase Taiwan’s talent pool by an average of 7,500 people a year. Figures suggest Taiwan needs to train more than 80,000 to make up its current shortfall. So with the ministry’s plans, that process should take about eleven years.
Pan says departments at top universities will be able to apply to increase student numbers by up to 15%. That will mean about 3,500 new places in technology courses this year. The ministry also aims to get around 6% of undergraduates to take short courses in information technology.