Professionalization Program for Employment Counseling of International Students in Higher Education Institutions in Taiwan

Objectives:

1. Strengthen the recruitment and retention of international talent:
Encourage outstanding students from various countries to study in Taiwan and remain for employment after graduation, while retaining mid- to high-level foreign technical professionals to supplement domestic labor needs.

2. Enhance the international student employment counseling system:
Through four key implementation areas of the program, assist higher education institutions in establishing comprehensive employment counseling mechanisms and improving employment tracking systems for international students.

3. Increase the employment retention rate of international students in Taiwan:
By strengthening linkages between universities and industries, facilitate job matching for international students upon graduation and provide a stable talent pool for the domestic labor market.

4. Promote inter-ministerial collaboration and optimize administrative procedures:
By collecting challenges and recommendations from universities regarding international student employment counseling, coordinate across ministries to streamline regulations related to residency and employment for international students in Taiwan.

Implementation Strategies / Key Focus Areas:

This program is one of the three major strategies under the “Program for Promoting International Students to Study and Stay in Taiwan,” specifically focusing on “Strengthening the linkage between international student support and domestic employment.”
To achieve the goal of enabling international students to remain in Taiwan for employment after graduation, the Ministry supports higher education institutions in establishing career development and employment support systems, thereby increasing the retention rate of international students. The implementation strategies are as follows:

1. Assign dedicated personnel for international student employment counseling:

(1) Each institution shall appoint dedicated staff responsible for providing employment guidance, career planning, and related support for international students.
(2) Provide relevant training programs and information to ensure that counseling personnel possess sufficient professional knowledge.

2. Collaborate with enterprises to co-develop courses (including internships):

(1) Encourage institutions to collaborate with industry partners to jointly design courses, seminars, and internship or practicum programs.
(2) Offer Chinese language enhancement courses for international students and establish language proficiency benchmarks to meet industry requirements.

3. Establish SOPs for learning and employment pathways:

(1) Provide early-stage career exploration and employment counseling from the time of enrollment; organize career seminars and job fairs to help international students understand Taiwan’s workplace environment.
(2) Establish SOPs for academic support and employment counseling, provide internship and job information, and ensure clear points of contact for students.
(3) Conduct evaluations and site visits of internship placements to monitor student performance and collect feedback.

4. Implement post-graduation employment tracking:

(1) Establish a tracking system for international students’ employment after graduation to assess the effectiveness of institutional counseling services and activities.
(2) Develop alumni databases or related platforms to share job opportunities and strengthen connections between international alumni and their alma mater, supporting their long-term development in Taiwan.