STAFF REPORTER
"Where there's a will, there's a way," said President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) at an award ceremony yesterday for those who have contributed significantly to their professions.
The Council of Labor Affairs (CLA,
This year, 120 candidates vied for the 10 prizes, which are worth NT$100,000 each.
The awards were established by the CLA in 1994 to encourage technical endeavor in Taiwan.
"The achievements of these prize winners signals to workers across the country that down-to-earth effort, exploration and innovation can lead an individual to success, whatever their occupation," Chen said.
Traditionally, Chinese society tends to value academic achievement more than technical professionalism.
"I came from a humble family that was unable to lavish resources on me, just like most of these prize winners," Chen said. "My winning the presidency and their winning these awards show that where there's a will, there's a way."
He urged workers in every profession to continue developing their techniques to ensure the country's competitiveness after Taiwan's entry into the WTO.
"We hope that with the cooperation of the entire labor force, Taiwan can revive its economy by becoming a technical world leader," he said.
Three of those honored for their efforts in advancing their professions shared their experiences with the Taipei Times.
A man's world
The oldest, and only female award winner, was Weng Li-chen (
"My accomplishment should tell others that continually improving one's skills can make one successful," Weng said.
Wearing a bright, golden dress of her own design and overwhelmed with joy, Weng was reluctant to show her dark, wrinkled and callused hands, which didn't match the luxuriousness of her attire but certainly bore testimony to her story.
"Having had to work extremely hard to support my family both before and after I got married, I have never had time to take care of them like other women do," she said.
Wang said she had to begin her career at the age of 19, when her father sent her to a tailor's studio so that she could help with the family's strained finances. "It was impossible for me to withdraw from the harsh life of an apprentice. My family was too poor to support me."
"I had to do all the chores, ranging from sweeping the floor, cleaning the old-style sewing machines, to buying and sewing every button by hand," she recalled.
Weng then married an army officer, a move that she expected to ease her financial worries.
But, when her husband was forced to retire because of poor health at the age of 32, she was forced to take sole responsibility for supporting him and their three children. "I would cry for three days and nights at a time in those days, thinking of the heavy burden and the endless work I faced."
But her efforts paid off, enabling her children to develop solid foundations for their own careers. "I am so proud that my sons all have university degrees. One even has a PhD," she said.
With the independence she gained once her children had grown up, Weng acquired a tailoring license and entered a vocational school three years ago to improve her skills. She previously only had a primary-school diploma.
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