TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Business leaders are calling attention to the country’s talent shortage, which some have blamed on an ill-advised educational reform.

At a forum hosted by Taiwan’s Chinese National Association of Industry and Commerce (CNAIC) on Tuesday (March 22), representatives of industry players expressed concern that the country’s technical and vocational education is undervalued, per CNA.

Taiwan boasts a talent pool that, with proper training, can rival the most competitive ones in the world with their flexibility, resourcefulness, and agility, said Chu Chih-yaung (朱志洋), chairman of machinery company Fair Friend Group. However, the drive to increase the number of universities has undermined technical training and left businesses with inadequate talent, he lamented.

Echoing his views, Walter Chang (張宏嘉), chairman of investment and consultation firm Holmsgreen Holdings, pointed out that 90% of job seekers in Taiwan have a university degree compared to Finland’s 35%.

There is also the issue of on-the-job training. Chang advocates a systematic approach to make sure the right worker is put in the right place. More tax credits and incentives would be welcomed by corporations that adopt skill training programs, Chu argued.

To better address the skill gap in the job market, Tai Lung Capital Inc. Chairman Huang Chiao-chang (黃教漳), suggested that Taiwan open up to more foreign experts. Meanwhile, technical and vocational education deserve greater emphasis, he added.

The number of universities in Taiwan jumped from 53 in 2000 to 126 in 2021. The figure for colleges peaked at 78 in 2002 before gradually declining, while that of junior colleges has gone from 23 to 12 during the past two decades, according to the National Development Council.