People are the most important asset of an economy, comprising the chief element in the production chain and the main foundation for the country's socioeconomic development, Premier Sean Chen said today.
At an economic symposium on employee relations and human resources, the premier elaborated that treating people as human resources or capital can change perspectives all around. Employers will focus less on managing attendance and more on increasing employees' added values to meet company needs. And rather than quibbling over free lunches or company benefits, employees will care more about skill training opportunities that help their careers later on.
Representatives from industrial and commercial groups were present at the symposium to discuss their views and opinions with government officials. The premier summarized the discussions as follows:
1. Since the Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) will soon be upgraded into the Ministry of Labor, the task of planning the country's human resources will be transferred to the new National Development Council.
2. Policies on technical and vocational education should be consolidated across different areas. As an example, vocational schools and technology universities should adjust their curriculums, teacher recruitment and student internships to closer match the demands of industries. The Ministry of Education (MOE) was also asked to plan policies that will bring the focus of technology universities from academic back to technical training.
3. Labor-management relations should be built on the basis of harmony and co-prosperity. Viewed from this perspective, Taiwan must create more jobs for local workers before recruiting foreign blue-collar workers. It must also raise its national competitiveness before hiring white-collar workers from abroad.
4. Students from emerging countries who come to study on government scholarships could later become an important bridge in Taiwan's efforts to develop emerging markets. The MOE and Ministry of Foreign Affairs were asked to work out measures for tapping into that resource.
5. The system of dispatching temporary workers has long been used in Japan. It is helpful for meeting seasonal labor needs but has met with problems in Taiwan. The CLA was asked to look into possible abuses of the system.
6. Regarding foreign laborers in Taiwan, participants also discussed whether to focus on controlling cost or quantity. The CLA will refer to participants' input when forming policies.
7. Participants agreed that the German technical and vocational education system—including certification and occupational training—was a good example for the ROC government to follow, as is Germany's "Agenda 2010" plan proposed in 2003 for reforming their social system and labor market plan.