With its first offering in 2016, the NPUST Department of Mechanical Engineering is getting ready to launch the 5th session of its “Precision Machining Industry-Academic Cooperation Program”. The program has already gained a reputation among potential candidates—this year, with a total of 60 students applying for the 35 available seats.
The program is set up as a three-way contract between the university, the students and a select group of local businesses. Students enrolled in one of seven vocational high schools in the Kaohsiung and Pingtung area are eligible to sign up for the deal, where they will be enrolled in the 4-year degree program at NPUST while concurrently taking on an employee position at one of the select companies.
On April 29 (2020), the contract signing ceremony took place – with some attending via video conference out of concern for COVID.
At the ceremony, NPUST President Chang-Hsien Tai made some remarks, stating that “currently in Taiwan, there is a great demand for professionals skilled in precisions machining. Every year, the NPUST’s Department of Mechanical Engineering’s Precision Machining Industry-Academic Cooperation Program is cultivating the type of professional talent that the industry is looking for. This special program allows hard working students to work and study at the same time, which benefits the students economically, and also provides businesses with a practical means of finding talent. By integrating industry, academics and education, it creates an all-round win for the future.”
Director Lay-Gaik Teoh of the Department of Mechanical Engineering explained that students who take part in this program began learning the relevant mechanical engineering skills while enrolled at vocational high school. From there, they come over to NPUST for four years of advanced studies. Every week from Monday to Thursday, they will be engaged with paid employment at one of the participating companies (hired as formal employees). On Friday and Saturday, the students will come to school for studies. Essentially, they will be “learning from doing and doing while learning”.
Four years after its maiden voyage, this June will see the first class of students graduate from the special cooperative program. And unlike what is usually the case, in addition to the diplomas they receive, the students will also have four years of relevant job experience under their belts. The program is a Ministry of Education approved program and everything from the course design and the selection of business partners to the method of teaching and guiding the students has been planned out with the goal of creating a situation where students can gain the most, parents can rest assured, and businesses can have confidence in their future workforce.
