Biotech Ph.D. holders not the only ones who need help: lawmakers

 2012/10/22 22:26:02 Taipei, Oct. 22 (CNA) Lawmakers urged the government Monday to stop favoring holders of doctorate degrees in biotechnology and extend job programs to Ph.D.s in other fields to address the lack of opportunities for highly educated talent in Taiwan.The issue was highlighted after the Executive Yuan approved a program earlier this month to provide 100 jobs to people with Ph.D.s in biotechnology.Under the three-year program, the participants will receive a year of job training that combines theoretical and practical learning at universities or nonprofit organizations and be paid up to NT$1 million (US$34,157) a year before entering the job market.Chiang Nai-shin of the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) party warned that the surplus of talent in the biotech sector is just a tip of the iceberg as only 6 percent of Taiwan's doctorate holders got their degree in biotechnology.The majority hold Ph.D.s in engineering, education, and medicine, and a comprehensive approach should be applied to help all educated jobseekers and ease their difficulties in finding work, he said.KMT lawmaker Lu Yu-ling expressed concern over the level of income offered under the program after a similar project launched for university graduates a few years ago, which only provided a monthly salary of NT$22,000, may have pulled down the average salary for new job entrants.Minister of Education Chiang Wei-ling responded that a number of programs helping highly educated people find jobs and that the suggested pay level was decided by different government agencies.The United Daily News reported Monday that in the biotechnology sector alone, Taiwan currently produces around 400 doctorate degree holders a year, but the private sector creates only 140 jobs per year for them.Wang Li-yun, an associate professor in National Taiwan Normal University's Department of Education, told the paper that developing the biotech industry is costly and the market in Taiwan is relatively limited, meaning that many Ph.D. graduates who don't have work experience end up as salespeople for pharmaceutical companies.The program targeting people holding Ph.D.s in biotechnology has also drawn mixed views among top managers in the high-tech sector, the report said.Chang Yung-sheng, founder of Hi-Q Marine Biotech International Ltd. said he welcomed the new measure and the government's effort to cultivate talent.But other companies hoped the government will extend the training program to over two years as developing a new drug normally takes between 5-10 years, it said. (By Chen Chih-chung and Maia Huang)