💯 A piece of good news for everyone — National champions of the WorldSkills Competitions (WSC) will be part of this year’s National Day Parade to receive everyone’s applause! National skill champions and vocational education of all trades will be the highlight of the National Day.

👷 These are not my words, but those of Executive Yuan Youth Advisory Committee member and Skills for U CEO Huang Wei-xiang. They come from the first paragraph of a post on Facebook page Craftsmanship Insights, posted on June 11.

🏆 Most readers would know Taiwan is an “invisible champion” in many fields, serving as the mainstay of various industries. Taiwan’s famous cuisine, in particular, has received worldwide praise these two years as Taiwanese restaurants gain a presence in the Michelin Guides. However, we should all acknowledge the soul behind Taiwan’s excellent products and services in multiple fields — the veterans cultivated by vocational education.

🎉 In fact, Taiwan’s skill veterans have long been shining on the international stage. WorldSkills Competitions is a biennial event hosted by the 81 member states of WorldSkills International, and the competition is so fierce it is considered to be an Olympics of skills. In the 44th WSC of 2017, Taiwan won four gold medals, one silver medal, and 27 bronze medals, with a winning rate of 88%; in 2015, Taiwan won five gold medals, seven silver medals, and 19 bronze medals, ranking 3rd place overall. These results are no doubt first class in the world.

🥇 Regrettably, such excellent results were not well known in Taiwan. This has caused the disproportional resources allocation on the part of the government, as well as a misunderstanding of the Taiwanese on the strength of the country. Fortunately, Huang Wei-xiang’s proposal alongside with Executive Yuan President Su Tseng-chang’s prompt instructions, and Legislative Yuan President Su Jia-chyuan’s full support have allowed these veteran’s skills to come into light in the National Day celebrations this year, so that they can receive their deserved acknowledgment and acclaim from both nationals and foreign guests.

💡 Today’s results are made possible by the Yuan-level Youth Advisory Committee, programmed and founded by Executive Yuan’s former Premier, Lin Chuan. They are also concrete proof to Lin’s original intention fulfilled: the members’ deep insights into public policies, active participation and suggestions have brought overall innovation to policy execution.