As the president of Northwestern Polytechnic University, Peter Hsieh has a deep understanding of education and employment in the technology industry. During his time at NPU, he has worked hard to develop and expand programs so that students will be able to find a job after school.

The role of an educational institution is to provide students with the knowledge and skills that they need before entering into the workforce, Mr. Hsieh said. “In order for us to have a successful career path, we need the right training from our educators,” he added.

Mr. Hsieh is no stranger to the education industry. He graduated from one of the top undergraduate engineering programs in Taiwan, Tunghai University. Afterward, he attended George Washington Law School, where he became an attorney with over 16 years of experience under his belt.

Today, Mr. Hsieh is focused on helping make NPU a top destination for students who want to learn about technology. “We are trying to provide education programs that help people get the right skills and knowledge so they can be successful in this industry,” he said.

NPU has also developed relationships with some key companies in the tech field, such as Oracle Corporation, Cisco Systems, Inc., VMware Inc., EMC Corporation, Goldman Sachs, Allergan, Inc., and more. These companies have provided NPU with internship opportunities for students to explore what it takes to work in the technology field.

“They are providing great learning experiences for our students,” said Mr. Hsieh. “These internships can open up many doors for our graduates.” For example, Oracle Corporation offers interns the opportunity to work on exciting development projects, and Cisco Systems, Inc. gives interns hands-on training so they can learn how to become certified professionals.

When asked about the technology industry’s future, Mr. Hsieh said that over 100 universities in California are currently working together so students will be able to figure out how to make sense of the growing amount of data. “In terms of technology, it’s changing at a very fast pace,” he said. “People may not remember what things were like five years ago.”

“Companies are hiring many experts in the field, and there is a demand for professionals with different backgrounds, such as law or medicine,” said Mr. Hsieh. “There are opportunities in different areas for people who want to work with technology.”

According to Mr. Hsieh, NPU is open to working with job placement agencies to place graduates into the correct positions. NPU also has a proactive Career Development team that can help students find jobs after they graduate through employers who are interested in hiring their graduates. “If you want to be successful, it’s important to have the right training and skills,” Mr. Hsieh said.

In closing, Mr. Hsieh said that the current students who are attending NPU now would be the workforce of tomorrow. “We need to provide them with knowledge and skills so they can succeed in this industry. But, at the end of the day, we want to see our students as career professionals and as members of the community.”