EIGHTEEN Saint Lucians at various stages in their professional careers completed a series of three-month training programmes at top vocational universities in Taiwan. They were sŃŠ¾nŃŠ¾rŠµd bŃ Š¢Š°ŃwŠ°nās ŠntŠµrnŠ°tŃŠ¾nŠ°l Š”Š¾Š¾ŃŠµrŠ°tŃŠ¾n Š°nd DŠµvŠµlŠ¾ŃmŠµnt Fund (ŠŠ”DF), under its Vocational and Training Programme. The training aimed to cultivate the human resource capacity of Taiwanās allied nations; better preparing them to meet market demands.
ThŠµ trainees ŃŠ¾mŃlŠµtŠµd 350 hŠ¾urŃ Š¾f coursework and internships in Advanced Motor Vehicle Mechanics, Electrical Engineering, Chinese Cooking, and Tourism Hospitality Management. The courses covered both seminars and practical training, but the students were also able to experience Taiwanās cultural life and some of its technological accomplishments.
The closing ceremony held on October 25th at Ful Won Hotel in Taipei celebrated the achievements of participants in the Electrical Engineering and Tourism Hospitality Management programmes. However, Saint Lucians were prominent at an earlier closing ceremony for the Advanced Motor Vehicle Mechanics and Chinese Cooking students held at the Windsor Hotel in Taichung, Taiwan on October 15th, 2019. It was there that Gabriella Fontenelle was awarded the āMost Outstandingā participant while Ryan Noel received the Humanitarian Award. Both recipients studied Chinese Cooking at Hung Kuang University.
Participants in this yearās programmes also came from Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Taiwan has previously focused principally on degree education however; recognizing the changing needs of the āalliedā countries it now also provides vocational training.