A new government program encouraging senior-high and vocational high-school graduates to work for a few years before going to college has been received well by teenagers.
About 7,500 seniors from about 500 schools nationwide have expressed interest in the scheme, exceeding the government’s target of 5,000, the Ministry of Education said last month.
Under the program launched last year, high-school graduates are eligible for a monthly subsidy of NT$5,000 from the education and labor ministries for up to three years — in addition to salaries from their employers — so that they can gain work experience while saving money for future study or career needs.
The government will deposit the subsidies in special savings accounts, and participants can only receive the money in a lump sum upon completion of the program.
The ministry is to start taking applications next month. After a screening process, it hopes to begin matching applicants with jobs by the end of next month, according to the ministry.
Only a small portion of the 250,000 high-school students graduating every year have shown interest in the program. However, for Taiwan’s youth, it marks a significant broadening of the means to pursue their goals.
This is also a moment to reflect on the nation’s educational goals, the situation of the technical and vocational education systems and our expectations for the next generation.
Government statistics show that most senior-high or vocational school graduates choose to continue their studies after graduation. An average of 86.64 percent of high-school graduates enrolled in higher education during the 2012 to 2014 school years, although many of them said they were unsure about their interests and some even reported having picked the wrong major after matriculation.
The three-year program, scheduled to begin in August, aims to help students discover their true interests while taking different jobs and to give them time to see if they want to pursue further studies. It also aims to introduce them to new ways of thinking about paths of education and career development.
However, the government might recall what happened in 2009, when it offered subsidies of NT$22,000 per month to businesses willing to hire college graduates. This led to many companies paying first-time job seekers monthly wages as low as NT$22,000, based on that government-set standard. The government should avoid making teenagers just another pool of cheap labor.
The government should pay attention to the details of job-matching and develop measures to better protect the rights of students. Having a specially designated task force screen participating companies to ensure job quality is a must. It also needs to set a high standard for safe working environments, career growth prospects and labor conditions.
Supporters of the plans have high expectations, hoping it will encourage aptitude-based development in young people and instill the youth with more self-confidence.
However, do not expect a clean run for the scheme. The initiative might not win enough support from parents, schools and businesses in the first year, and could meet more obstacles along the way.
How will the government ensure teenaged graduates’ right to education? Do senior-high and vocational high schools have sufficient human resources for this mission?
It is likely that the program will eventually have to be modified to addresses concerns by parents and schools, but the effort will be worthwhile if we can help our youth discover themselves.
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