As the international pandemic stabilizes and the tourism industry anticipates a post-pandemic recovery, we has actively launched the "Overseas Internship Program(學海築夢)" by Ministry Of Education(MOE, 教育部). We selected 26 students from the Department of Sports Industry Management(運動事業管理系), and Department of Applied Foreign Languages(應用外語系) of the College of Humanities and Design(人文與設計學院) to go to Japanese ski resorts for two months of internship.
Hsaing, Wei-Chieh (向薇潔), who is the Vice Dean of the College of Humanities and Design, expressed that with the expected easing of the epidemic and the gradual lifting of restrictions on international travel, they began planning to send students abroad for internships. They collaborated with YKT Corporation in Japan and selected a total of 26 students to ski resorts in Naeba, Karuizawa, and Furano from December 16, 2022 to February 3, 2023. For two months of internship, the students got to know the skiing and leisure industry and improved their language abilities, creating a diverse group of talents with interdisciplinary skills.
The Vice Dean and several teachers visited YKT Corporation and the skiing schools where the students were trained in Naeba, Karuizawa, and Furano, including the KRT Ski School designed specifically for children. They visited to understand the students' working environment and their adaptation. They also visited the Furano Tourist Association and the Prince Hotel in Furano. During the visit, they had discussions with the Furano Tourist Association's Director to understand the characteristics of the local tourism industry and related labor demand, as well as establish channels for future cooperation.
President Watabe Yoshiko(渡部潔子) of YKT Corporation, which provided the internship opportunities, said that with the lifting of domestic pandemic restrictions and the opening of borders, the tourism industry in Japan is recovering, but there is a shortage of labor. They welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with Minghsin University of Science and Technology in Taiwan for the ski season starting in December. Depending on their language proficiency and expertise, students were assigned to work at the ski resort's reception counter, ski rental and maintenance, or to instruct children at the KRT Ski School. President Watabe further mentioned that the New Year and Chinese Lunar New Year holidays were the busiest times for ski resorts, and this year coincided with a rare ten-year snowfall in Japan. The internship students from Minghsin exceptionally well at the ski resort, becoming indispensable partners after only two months of internship. She hopes that they will come to Japan to invest in the sports tourism industry after graduation.
Zheng, Min-feng (鄭敏丰), the Department of Sports Industry Management who participated in the internship program, worked as a group course instructor for children at the Panda Ski School in Furano ski resort. She thanked the principal of the ski school for teaching her from a beginner to being proficient, which gave her a great sense of accomplishment. After the internship, she will continue to study and improve skiing skills and Japanese language proficiency.
Similarly, SHI, YUE(石岳) worked in a ski equipment store to be in charge of renting and maintaining ski equipment. He mentioned that customers at the Furano ski resort come from all over the world, so in addition to Japanese, he also needs to know English. He learned how to help customers select suitable ski equipment, including choosing the right size board, and also learned about snowboard maintenance techniques, including waxing, edge grinding, and waxing, all of which are important for equipment and safety.
The Vice Dean pointed out that after the post-epidemic unblocking, Japanese tourism, which is popular among Taiwanese people, will experience explosive growth. She sees the potential for the development of the skiing industry and the demand for talent in the skiing industry. The school can cooperate with YKT and KRT ski schools in Japan to provide students with the opportunity to participate in overseas internships. Through the MOE's " Overseas Internship Program(學海築夢)", students can receive financial support to work abroad, learn and apply their expertise in the ski resort, improve their confidence and accumulate internationalization skills, and promote the sport of skiing based on their own experiences, attracting more people to engage in skiing and leisure sports. (Source: Department of Sports Industry Management, YKT)
