TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Penghu County Government said Thursday it has expanded efforts to address a nursing shortage by forming a training alliance with a Kaohsiung-based college.

CNA reported that the agreement with Yuh-ing Junior College of Health Care and Management aims to strengthen nursing education and build a stable local workforce. The program offers two pathways, including converting self-funded students into publicly funded trainees who must return to Penghu after graduation.

Deputy Magistrate Lin Chieh-hsing (林皆興) said improving healthcare services has been a priority since Magistrate Chen Kuang-fu (陳光復) took office. He said the county began subsidizing nursing training in 2023 and has partnered with six medical schools to train 35 publicly funded students, though progress has been slow.

Lin said the new alliance will expand recruitment and provide more flexible training options. He added that using the partner school’s established nursing program will improve education quality and increase the likelihood that students return to serve their home communities, per UDN.

The college said it has long-standing ties with Penghu and aims to give back through education. It said its nursing graduates consistently achieve license exam pass rates above 85%, and that 16 students from Penghu are currently enrolled and expected to join the local workforce, per Yahoo News.

Penghu’s Health Bureau said “medical localization” remains a key policy goal. Officials said the county has recruited nearly 60 specialist doctors to provide higher-level care locally and expects the first group of eight publicly funded nursing students to return next year.

Officials said the expanded program is expected to ease long-standing staffing shortages in the outlying islands. They added that building a steady supply of trained nurses will help ensure more stable and higher-quality healthcare services for residents.