The Department of Mechanical Engineering at National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST), in collaboration with the Kaohsiung-Pingtung-Penghu-Taitung Regional Branch of the Workforce Development Agency (WDA), has successfully held the “Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing Class” for four consecutive years, and it is now entering its fifth. Their partnership clearly exemplifies the fruitful results of the Industry-Academia Collaboration Program 2.0 (formerly the Industry-Academia Training Program).
The fourth cohort of students celebrated their graduation on August 22nd (2025). Attendees at the ceremony included Section Chief Hong-Dian Lin and Technical Specialist Kun-Ching Huang from the WDA Branch, as well as Department Chair Sun-Li Wu and Professor Chih-Hao Yang from the NPUST Mechanical Engineering Department. The students completed 1,800 hours of specialized training in 12 hands-on practical courses that were held over the year.
Collectively, the students successfully acquired over 50 professional technician licenses issued by the Ministry of Labor, boasting a 100% passing rate. Notably, 13 students achieved three certificates simultaneously, demonstrating their exceptional learning outcomes.
Starting in their sophomore year, these students will enter partner companies, such as SAI Manufaktur, You Ji Machine Industrial Co., Ltd., and Honda Taiwan Co., Ltd., where they will participate in a three-year industry internship as official employees, allowing them to balance their studies with professional employment. Upon graduation, they will simultaneously possess an academic degree and three years of practical work experience, a profile highly valued by the industry.
NPUST explained that this specialized course is officially approved by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Labor under the Industry-Academia Collaboration Program 2.0. The curriculum is jointly planned by the university, the Workforce Development Agency, and the partnering companies. Training focuses heavily on professional skills development, preparing students to take various technician certification exams, including Hydraulic (Level C), Mechatronics Integration (Level C), CNC Milling (Level B), and 3D Modeling (Level C).
The program integrates on-campus instruction with corporate training to ensure students balance theoretical knowledge and practical experience from their sophomore to senior years. Students receive comprehensive workplace experience at the partner companies on weekdays, then return to the campus on Friday evenings and Saturdays for professional courses. The curriculum, which covers topics from mechanical design and computer-aided manufacturing to smart manufacturing, systematically builds their professional competencies. Through this “learning by doing” model, students not only enhance their professional capabilities but also closely connect their academic knowledge with practical experience, thereby deepening their understanding of industry operations.
The orientation and opening ceremony for the fifth cohort of the specialized class was held on September 4th, signaling the program’s ongoing commitment to cultivating talent for the industry. NPUST emphasized that this class embodies the spirit of vocational education by creating the type of technical workforce required by the industry. The program successfully shortens the gap between academic learning and practical application while reducing students’ financial burdens. Moving forward, NPUST will continue to deepen its collaboration with the Ministry of Labor and the industry to injected new momentum into Taiwan’s industrial development and create an all-round win for all the parties involved.
