To strengthen youth employment capabilities, the Ministry of Labor has launched Phase II of the Youth Employment Investment Program in 2023. Through diverse measures, the program supports youth in securing stable employment and developing their careers. By 2024, it will have successfully helped 224,008 people gain employment and provided training to another 44,822, demonstrating tangible policy results.

According to the Workforce Development Agency, the program integrates various initiatives such as the &ldquoCollege Youth Pre-employment Program,&rdquo the &ldquoFirst-time Job Seekers Employment Stabilization Program,&rdquo and &ldquoCross-domain Employment Subsidies.&rdquo These aim to assist students in exploring their careers, help non-traditional workers transition to full-time roles, and guide talents into key industries by linking with industrial resources.

With graduation season approaching, the agency encourages young people to make use of the five Youth Career Development Centers (Youth Salon, YS) across Taiwan. These centers provide resume reviews, mock interviews, career counseling, and workplace tours. Young people can also book online video career consultations via the TaiwanJobs Youth Career Platform (https://gov.tw/i3R) &mdash up to three times per year &mdash or join online group seminars and watch career-related videos.

Additionally, the TaiwanJobs website offers a &ldquoJobooks&rdquo section (https://gov.tw/ctF), which includes information on over 500 occupations, industry trends, required skills, job content, educational qualifications, and salary expectations.

Take the case of Xiao Ning, a graduate in Industrial Design with exchange experience in Germany. Her first job was in project management, but it did not align with her career expectations. Through YS's career consultation, she learned about B Corporations that value social and environmental responsibility, and decided to pursue a job in that sector. Despite lacking a relevant background, she accepted the challenge with encouragement from a counselor, gradually adapted, and is now steadily developing her career in a B Corp.

The Ministry of Labor reminds young people to visit the Youth Employment Investment Program website (https://gov.tw/c93) and the Youth Vocational Training Resources portal (https://gov.tw/daX) for course, subsidy, and training information. They can also visit TaiwanJobs (https://gov.tw/n7F) or call the toll-free hotline 0800-777-888 for personalized employment counseling and support services.