Fourteen Taiwanese technology companies and the National Development Council (NDC) offered more than 1,000 jobs in Taiwan at a recruitment drive staged during the Taiwan Tech Summit in Silicon Valley, Focus Taiwan reported on September 28.

The event, known as Taiwan Career Day, drew 3,000 visitors on September 26, California time, according to the NDC. It is part of Taipei's push to fill shortages in semiconductors and artificial intelligence, sectors where the island is competing with the United States, Japan, South Korea and China for a limited pool of engineers.

NDC head Yeh Chun-hsien said that siting the overseas recruitment platform in Silicon Valley was critical as Taiwan builds out key technology sectors including AI and chipmaking while facing global competition for talent. The aim, he said, was to take talent services directly to where skilled workers are based and to promote career opportunities in Taiwan.

Yeh added that the format gives international technology workers a chance to learn about Taiwan and examine career options through direct contact with Taiwanese employers.

Companies taking part included contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, power management supplier Delta Electronics, telecoms operator Taiwan Mobile and memory chip producer Micron Taiwan, the NDC said. AI server maker Wistron, chip designer MediaTek and semiconductor equipment maker Applied Materials Taiwan were also represented.

The 14 firms were recruiting in semiconductors, information and communications technology, software and AI development.

Research bodies including Academia Sinica and the Industrial Technology Research Institute, along with several universities, attended and held one-on-one interviews for teaching and research posts. The Ministry of Digital Affairs, the National Immigration Agency, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Taiwan's overseas offices ran booths promoting the island's recruitment of foreign professionals.

Michel Foley, a senior software engineer at US software developer Salesforce, was presented with Taiwan's Employment Gold Card by Yeh at the event.

The gold card scheme, launched by the NDC in 2018, targets professionals in 12 fields including digital technology, finance, arts and culture, law and science. It bundles a work permit, resident visa, Alien Resident Certificate and re-entry permit, letting holders take up any job in Taiwan, and extends work rights to spouses, health insurance access for dependants and tax breaks.