On October 19-24, the Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) held a "Training Program for Taiwanese Creative Dessert" to meet the dessert entrepreneurship needs of overseas compatriots and Taiwanese business owners and enhance their overall competitiveness. At the graduation ceremony and achievement exhibition on October 23, a total of 26 students from 13 countries displayed their craftsmanship and created an entire table of delightful and tasty desserts. The students expressed gratitude to the OCAC for arranging professional instructors to help them vastly improve their culinary skills.

On behalf of OCAC Minister Chen-Yuan Tung, Deputy Minister Chia-Ching Hsu congratulated the students for completing the training course. She indicated that despite the COVID-19 epidemic this year, numerous overseas compatriots still especially returned to Taiwan to participate in this training after individual home quarantine, which demonstrates their confidence in Taiwan. 
She believes this course is definitely worth everyone's effort, and that it can provide those who are committed to the dessert industry to gain a deeper understanding.

During the training course, in addition to professional instructors leading hands-on creative dessert workshops, industry leaders' experience sharing, and tours of baking equipment corporations, Jih-Tung (Richard) Li, Director of the Association of Chain and Franchise Promotion Taiwan (ACFPT) was also invited to speak to students on the topic of "How to select and expand store locations for chains, franchises, and the baking industry". OCAC Deputy Minister Hsu expressed that in addition to financial preparation, entrepreneurship also requires numerous professional skills. Taiwan's chain and franchise sector has countless professional talents and skills, and she hopes that through this training course, overseas compatriots can quickly cross the threshold and establish a solid foundation for their career development. 

Deputy Minister Hsu also encouraged the students to apply for the Overseas Compatriot Card. She noted that nearly 100,000 Overseas Compatriot Cards have already been issued. Holders of the Overseas Compatriot Card will not only enjoy exclusive discounts at more than 4,000 affiliated stores in Taiwan and abroad, but also enjoy free remote health consulting services through the "EUCare" mobile app until the end of this year. She also welcomes those who have already started or are about to start a dessert business to join the ranks of Overseas Compatriot Card affiliated stores and together create additional business opportunities.

Students praised the instructors for their professionalism and dedication, and hope to participate in further baking, pasta and coffee brewing courses in the future. Among them, Shu-jun Huang, a dessert chef from Japan with Le Cordon Bleu license, said that through this course, they learned various new techniques, which will be of immense assistance to their research and creations in the future. Jennifer Liu, the student leader from the United States, thanked the teachers for generously sharing many secret tips and assist the students in reducing rate of failure, and carrying forward Taiwan's unique dessert artistry to every corner of the world.

This training course was attended by 26 students from 13 countries, including New Zealand, Spain, Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines, the United States, Canada, Indonesia, Brazil, El Salvador, Argentina and Venezuela.

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