(FWA 2025/05/02)The Ministry of Labor(MOL) in Taiwan is currently reviewing an amendment that would permit foreign and overseas Chinese graduates to work as passenger bus drivers, a move that the Taoyuan City Government is actively preparing for. Taoyuan plans to launch recruitment and training programs for these graduates once the ministry’s regulations are officially approved.
According to statistics, as of the end of February this year, Taoyuan had 11,695 foreign and overseas Chinese students enrolled in its universities and colleges, with overseas Chinese students accounting for 3,302 of that number. Of these, 693 are senior overseas Chinese students who are nearing graduation and preparing to enter the workforce.
The Taoyuan City Department of Transportation (DOT) will primarily target these graduating overseas Chinese students who already hold a light vehicle driver’s license for at least two years and are able to obtain a “A2” TOCFL(Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language) certification before graduation.
Once selected by bus operators through an interview process, these qualified graduates will participate in the city’s ongoing “Bus Driver Training and Employment Program.” To ensure a smooth transition into the workforce, the DOT is collaborating with other government agencies, including the Department of Labor, the Department of Social Welfare, to design a three-week pre-employment intensive training course.
This comprehensive curriculum will cover essential topics such as:
- Legal knowledge for daily life
- Road traffic regulations
- Labor rights
- Practical Chinese language skills
- Traffic safety and accident response
- Practical bus operation internships
Participants will also receive a living allowance during their training. This initiative aims to enable overseas Chinese students to seamlessly transition into public bus operations immediately after obtaining their professional bus driver’s license, bolstering the city’s public transportation workforce.
The Taoyuan DOT highlighted that since March of last year, it has been promoting a “Bus Driver Training and Employment Program” that covers all training fees and provides a basic salary during the training period. Participants who complete their service term also receive additional subsidies. The training program can last up to five months.
The MOL‘s proposed amendment, which includes opening up six new job categories for foreign and overseas Chinese graduates (including truck drivers and their assistants, and bus drivers), was announced for public comment at the end of March. Due to feedback from various sectors regarding qualifications and supporting measures, the MOL will continue to consult with the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and the Ministry of Economic Affairs before finalizing the regulations.
勞動部近期預告修正法規，預計開放畢業僑外生從事客運駕駛工作，桃園市政府表示，正規劃僑生參與公車駕駛招募與培訓機制，將在勞動部法規正式通過後啟動招募計畫，與業者合作協助符合資格的僑外生參與大客車駕駛培育。
根據統計資料，今年至2月底為桃園市大專院校僑外生人數達到1萬1,695人，其中僑生3,302人，大四僑生693人。考量這批學生即將進入職場，桃園市交通局將優先鎖定已持有小客車駕照滿2年、畢業前可取得華語文能力檢定「基礎級」資格的大四僑生為招募對象，經客運業者面試錄取後，隨即參與目前正在推動的「大客車駕駛受訓即就業培訓」計畫。
為協助僑生順利銜接職場，交通局也與勞動局、社會局、婦幼發展局等跨機關合作，設計為期三週的職前短期補習專班。
課程涵蓋生活法律、道路交通法規、勞動權益、實用華語、交通安全與事故應變、客運見習實作等，並提供受訓生活津貼，使僑生一旦考取職業大客車駕照，即可無縫投入公車營運行列，成為本市區客運駕駛即戰力。
交通局表示，自去年3月起推動「大客車駕駛受訓即就業培訓」，參與該計畫免受訓費用，並且受訓期間提供基本薪資，服務期滿另有補助津貼，受訓期最長5個月。
據悉，勞動部法規於3月底預告，預告期間外界對於新增6類畢業僑外生可從事工作（包括汽車貨運駕駛及隨車助理、客運駕駛）的相關資格與配套措施有意見，因此勞動部將會再與交通部、經濟部會商。
