As it is graduation season, at a June 13 meeting Premier Sean Chen instructed the National Youth Commission (NYC) and the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) to review various existing government programs to assist youths in their job search and business startups, and then coordinate inter-ministerial cooperation along these lines.
Currently, five Cabinet-level agencies—the NYC, MOEA, Council of Labor Affairs, Ministry of Culture and Council of Agriculture (COA)—all provide services to young citizens who are launching businesses. As such, the NYC is planning to integrate these services into a single platform. At today's meeting, Premier Chen gave the thumbs up to the NYC's integration plan and the Youth Entrepreneurship Loan Project, a business management guidance system that aims to increase local employment opportunities by attracting youths back to their hometowns to launch businesses that highlight local specialties.
"Although starting a business and seeking employment are two different things, and job-seekers outnumber aspiring entrepreneurs, this project can help create future employment opportunities for non-entrepreneurs, as well," the premier said. He instructed the project planners to focus on establishing businesses with special characteristics and strengthening risk control.
Meanwhile, the COA will continue to promote the Small Landlords, Big Tenant Farmers program, which helps young tenant farmers rent farmland and consolidates the farm training and teaching resources of the COA's 14 agricultural laboratories. The COA also cultivates agricultural human resources, counsels young farmers in agricultural management, and promotes industry-university cooperation programs. One of its goals is to encourage more youths to return to their hometowns and engage in farming.
Premier Chen requested that the COA do more research and development in tandem with other agencies, develop new methods of farming management and new varieties of products, and provide these innovations to those who wish to devote themselves to agriculture. He also said the farming internship program and the 14 laboratories' educational resources could be more actively promoted by using corporate management concepts.
In order to increase aboriginal youth employment, the Council of Indigenous Peoples (CIP) will continue to promote business creation, research and development, brand marketing and industry financing. The CIP will also invest resources and utilize cultural elements to develop local industries with indigenous characteristics, such as tourism, cultural and creative industries, music and dance recording and organic agriculture. It expects that these measures will encourage young aborigines to return home and pass on their tribal heritage.
Premier Chen also asked the CIP to cooperate with the ministries of economic affairs, culture, and transportation and communications as well as the COA on increasing aboriginal products' output value through improvement in packaging and marketing.