To assist middle-aged and senior job seekers in overcoming age-related barriers and enhancing their workplace competitiveness, the Taichung City Government Labor Affairs Bureau is continuing its workplace experience and recruitment events. This year, the bureau plans to partner with age-friendly companies such as PX Mart, McDonald&rsquos, and Bingxin Orchid Garden, offering 10 workplace experience events in industries like retail, hospitality, food service, and agricultural services. The first session kicked off on April 16, and all job seekers aged 45 and above are warmly invited to register.

Labor Affairs Bureau Director Lin Shu-yuan stated that as Taiwan enters an aging society, Mayor Lu Shiow-Yen places great emphasis on the employment of middle-aged and senior citizens. The city has continuously collaborated with age-friendly enterprises to promote workplace experience and job matching events annually. Last year, the program attracted major companies such as 7-Eleven, PX Mart, and McDonald&rsquos, providing workplace experiences for nearly 250 participants. Among them, 105 successfully completed preliminary interviews after the events, receiving positive feedback.PX Mart self-checkout machine operation experience (Photo: Screenshot from Taichung City Government website)

Director Lin further explained that to more effectively assist middle-aged job seekers, the Labor Affairs Bureau has introduced a new initiative this year titled &ldquoActive Aging Employment 5-Star Plus &ndash Empowering with Five Strengths&rdquo. This program covers five core areas such as increasing job-seeking motivation and workplace adaptability. A total of 18 services are provided, including career counseling, resume review, career exploration camps, and job placement services at senior employment centers, all aimed at helping older job seekers achieve stable and sustainable employment.

Ms. Liu, who participated in McDonald&rsquos workplace experience last year, shared her story. She had left the workforce for over a decade due to family reasons and felt anxious about returning. However, after joining the event, she found that McDonald&rsquos had implemented several friendly measures for older employees&mdashsuch as simplified workflows and enlarged ordering buttons and icons&mdashwhich helped her quickly adapt to the job. She was offered an interview on the spot and was eventually hired.McDonald's burger-making experience (Photo: Screenshot from Taichung City Government website)

The Taichung City Employment Services Office emphasized that these workplace experience events are designed to allow middle-aged job seekers to understand job requirements in a stress-free environment. This approach reduces the likelihood of job mismatch or dropouts due to unexpected work demands, while also enhancing interpersonal and teamwork skills. The Labor Affairs Bureau will continue to collaborate with friendly businesses this year to offer a wider range of job opportunities and encourages all interested individuals to sign up.

For more event details, please visit the Catch Job Services Registration Site or contact the service line at 04-22289111 ext. 36485.