Young Taiwanese seeking employment in the UK during the Olympic Games period are urged to be aware of work scams, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.
Although there have so far been no reports of job fraud by Taiwanese on working holidays in the UK, British media have been warning job-seekers of potential scams, said James Lee (李光章), director-general of the ministry’s Department of European Affairs.
“We cannot rule out the possibility that Taiwanese could become victims, so we want to keep the public abreast of the news,” Lee said.
A number of Taiwanese have entered the UK under a working holiday program that took effect in January. Successful applicants aged 18 to 30 can live, study or work in the UK for a maximum of 24 months.
“We have received no reports of fraud from Taiwanese applicants,” said an official from the British Trade and Cultural Office, the agency responsible for administering the UK’s Youth Mobility Scheme.
Taiwan has working holiday agreements with Canada, the UK, Germany, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.
In related news, Lee said Taiwan is taking part in a series of cultural events held alongside the London Olympics that will showcase the country’s strength in the creative arts.
Taiwan has just participated in London’s famed Chelsea Flower Show and will attend an upcoming architecture and poetry exposition at the Cultural Olympiad, Lee said.
Last week, Queen Elizabeth II visited Taiwan’s orchid pavilion at the flower show and showed appreciation for the award-winning orchids especially grown in honor of the Diamond Jubilee celebrating her 60 years on the throne, he said.
“Through the flower show, we exhibited our soft power,” he said.
Next month, students from National Cheng Kung University and the Chinese Culture University will present innovative designs at the International Architecture and Design Showcase at Westminster University, he added.
Lee said that poems by four Taiwanese poets have also been selected for the Poetry Parnassus, a platform that exhibits works from 205 nations and regions that are competing in the Olympic Games this summer.
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