Young people flock to take vocational license exams: CLA

The number of people registering to take vocational license exams has grown rapidly in recent years, especially among the young, Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) statistics showed.

By the end of last year, 4.6 million technical and vocational licenses had been approved and issued to examinees in the 35 years since the program was launched.

In recent years, the number of people registering has also increased by more than 50,000 a year — last year, close to 600,000 people registered, roughly an 11 percent increase from 2008.

On average, 67 percent of those who register pass the exams and are approved for a license.

Council data also showed that younger students and workers are increasingly eager to become license holders.

About 70 percent of those who obtained a technical or vocational license last year were under the age of 20; those between the ages of 21 to 30 accounted for about 14 percent of new license holders.

As more women join the workforce, the gender mix of license holders has also shifted dramatically, from a preponderance of male awardees to almost fifty-fifty.

Of the 410,000 technical and vocational licenses approved last year, about 200,000 were given to women.

Officials say this phenomenon can also be attributed to a surge in demand for licensed childcare and caregiver services.

In related news, a recent study by the council’s Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) showed that workers who hold jobs that require them to stand for long periods of time are prone to develop varicose veins.

This occurs because gravity impedes blood circulation and can lead to blockages and pain, IOSH section chief Hsu Jin-huei (徐儆暉) said.

Most workers with varicose veins have only mild symptoms such as swollen veins, uncomfortable numbness in the legs or slight pain, but if left untreated, serious complications such as ulcers can develop.

The institute advises those who are at risk to wear stockings specially designed to prevent varicose veins, exercise regularly and rest for a few minutes after every two hours standing.