According to the Taipei City Government, Mayor Ko Wen-je attended the Fifth CRS Award/Bluebird Wingspan Award ceremony on November 30. In light of challenges such as low birth rate and an aging population, the city government expressed its gratitude to enterprises that worked with the Department of Labor (DOL) to provide diversified job openings, as well as companies and schools which offer hands-on experiences at workplaces and internships.
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Mayor Ko Wen-je signed the letter of intent for cooperation with the "Taipei Senior Workforce Job & Innovation Center" on the spot.
During his address, the mayor pointed out that there are three major challenges with Taipei’s labor market: structural unemployment, low employment rate among senior citizens, and low employment rate among youths between 20-29. The city government works hard on tackling these problems.
First, on the issue of structural unemployment, while there is an estimated 500,000 people without a job, there is a high demand for workers in the construction industry. That is why the city government seeks to create an environment promoting learning combined with implementation of the skill at work to confront the structural problem.
Regarding the employment rate of individuals 65-or-older in Taiwan, the rate remains at 8%. Meanwhile, neighboring countries such as Japan and South Korea have a much higher rate – around 30%. As we observe trends such as low birth rates and post-war baby boomers retiring, old people reentering the work force becomes a necessity to alleviate worker shortage. As a result, the city government aims to raise the employment rate of senior citizens.
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Finally, to welcome more young people to the labor market, the Department of Education have established numerous internship opportunities with a number of companies and businesses. This offers students additional channels to obtain work experience while still attending college or universities.
Ko talked further about senior employment and called upon businesses to start by reexamining job openings and identify ones that elders can handle. It is important to provide training before work begins and promote the importance of lifelong learning. He stressed that people must realize that adapting to a changing environment is a must to remain competitive, and lifelong learning is the key.
