Healey-DriscollAdministration Launches MassTalent Online Job Platform

Healey-Driscoll Administration Launches MassTalent Online Job Platform

Improved front-door experience allows for employers and jobseekers to navigate resources; connects employers and industry to skilled talent, and jobseekers to employment opportunities across Massachusetts

Waltham, MA – The Healey-Driscoll Administration today launched the online job platform for MassTalent, a key strategy in its Massachusetts Workforce Agenda to connect employers with skilled talent and empower jobseekers with tailored career opportunities. Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Lauren Jones joined Massachusetts Clean Energy Center CEO Dr. Emily Reichert, local and state officials, members of the business community, and National Grid New England President Lisa Wieland to make the announcement at National Grid’s New England headquarters in Waltham.

The administration introduced MassTalent in 2023 with the goal of connecting employers with jobseekers in high-demand, high-growth industries – advanced manufacturing, clean energy, health and human services, life sciences, and technology, with a special focus on cybersecurity. Today’s launch of the new MassTalent website offers an industry-spanning search tool and a unique MassTalent filter, allowing employers to promote job opportunities and jobseekers to highlight their credentials and skills obtained through employment and training.

“Massachusetts is home to the best talent and the most innovative companies, and MassTalent will improve our efforts to connect skilled workers with employers who have jobs that need filling,” said Governor Maura Healey. “MassTalent represents our strategic effort to strengthen Massachusetts' competitive advantage in our top five critical sectors and build the workforce we need today and for the future.”
 
“MassTalent is set to serve as a crucial front door for both employers and jobseekers, making it easier to navigate employment opportunities across the state,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “We’re bringing together resources from across the administration to make it easier for jobseekers to get the information they need to connect with businesses who are looking to hire.”

Key enhancements to MassTalent include:

• A Dynamic, Revamped Website: A new MassTalent website offers a more engaging and interactive user experience, making it easier for employers and jobseekers to connect.

 

• Improved Front-Door Experience: An enhanced front-door interface will streamline access to employment-related resources, categorized by industry, to facilitate easier navigation.

 

• Updated MassHire JobQuest Tool: The MassHire JobQuest tool has been upgraded to provide a more adaptive search experience for both talent and job opportunities, helping jobseekers find the best matches and employers to discover skilled candidates more efficiently.
  
  
• Enhanced Employer Access: Employers will benefit from MassTalent filter for improved search capabilities to find trained and skilled talent in high-growth, in-demand industries.
  
  
• Increased Jobseeker Awareness: Jobseekers will gain better insights into career opportunities across high-growth sectors through MassTalent filter, enabling them to make informed decisions about their career paths.

 

MassTalent seeks to create a broad coalition across the state’s business community to promote available opportunities and accelerate the generation of skilled talent by connecting employers and industry to qualified talent, and jobseekers to employment and training opportunities statewide.

“MassTalent demonstrates one of the many ways our administration is committed to connecting employers to talent and jobseekers to career opportunities in Massachusetts,” said Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones. “Through MassTalent and enhanced resources our goal is to improve the user experience, promote available opportunities, and build connections that will strengthen our workforce today and for the future.”

“Massachusetts must mobilize an additional 34,000 clean energy workers by 2030 to meet our climate goals,” said Massachusetts Clean Energy Center CEO Emily Reichert. “The faster we build this workforce, the faster we can install heat pumps, add solar panels to roofs, weatherize our homes, and implement other clean energy solutions. An enhanced MassTalent will help jumpstart the climate-critical careers that will accelerate our clean energy transformation.”

The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development convened several state agencies and quasi-public agencies focused on investing in workforce development including the Workforce Skills Cabinet, Commonwealth Corporation, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, and Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. EOLWD also held listening sessions earlier this year to gather user feedback and data from industry partners such as the Massachusetts Hospital Association, the Massachusetts Business Roundtable, Associated Industries of Massachusetts, and MassBIO to help refine the new MassTalent improvements and ensure that the platform could better align with the needs of both employers and jobseekers.

“At National Grid, we know how important supporting, growing, and upskilling the clean energy workforce is for meeting Massachusetts’ climate goals. MassTalent’s new platform will help get the right people into the right jobs faster and easier,” said President of National Grid New England Lisa Wieland. “Through our Strategic Workforce Development Initiatives and together with our partners, we train hundreds of people for energy jobs. These improvements to MassTalent will help those participants find the job that is the best fit for them, allowing all of us to fill roles critical to our clean energy transition."

“Our world class education system is helping prepare our students for the jobs of tomorrow and today. The new MassTalent will make it easier for jobseekers to showcase their skills and credentials and connect with employers across the state in high-growth, high-demand industries,” said Education Secretary Dr. Patrick Tutwiler. “Whether through higher education, a career and technical education school, or apprenticeship, our learners are ready to make an impact on the Commonwealth.” 

For more information, please visit the MassTalent website at www.mass.gov/masstalent.

Governor Healey Names Jordan Maynard as Chair of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission

 Governor Healey Names Jordan Maynard as Chair of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission  

Governor Healey also appoints Former Melrose Mayor Paul Brodeur as Commissioner 

BOSTON – Today, Governor Maura Healey appointed Jordan Maynard as the Chair of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, a position he has held in an interim capacity since Cathy Judd-Stein's retirement in March. Governor Healey also appointed the former Melrose Mayor Paul Brodeur to serve as a Commissioner, now filling the final seat of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.  

“I’m grateful to Jordan Maynard for providing strong leadership for the Gaming Commission during this transitional period and proud to appoint him as Chair. He has proven to be a consensus builder who has a deep understanding of the agency and strives to do what’s best for the people of Massachusetts,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Mayor Paul Brodeur is a trusted leader in our state who has a record of bringing people together to deliver results on our most pressing challenges, including by bringing together elected officials, the business community, labor and advocates to negotiate the Grand Bargain which strengthened our economy and supported Massachusetts workers, families and businesses alike. I’m excited for him to continue to service to Massachusetts as a Commissioner.” 

“I am thankful for Chair Maynard for stepping up to take the reins of our Gaming Commission on a permanent basis and to former Mayor Brodeur taking on this new challenge as Commissioner,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “We have a strong team at the Commission and I’m confident they will make decisions in the best interest of the industry and our state.” 

"I am humbled by the opportunity to serve the Commonwealth as chair of the Gaming Commission, and am grateful to Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll for the trust they have placed in me to carry forward the mission of this incredibly important agency,” said Chair Jordan Maynard. "Since being appointed to the Commission in 2022 and through my time as interim chair, I have been consistently impressed with the level of integrity and leadership shown by my fellow commissioners and staff at the MGC. I am confident that Mayor Brodeur will make an impactful addition to the MGC team where he will be able to call on his excellent experience as a state and municipal leader and continue his service to the people of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts." 

“I have great respect for the important work that the Massachusetts Gaming Commission does to oversee and support this industry that is critical for our economy, workforce and competitiveness,” said Mayor Brodeur. “This moment more than ever requires leaders who bring people together, look past differences and make progress, and I’m committed to being that type of leadership. I’m grateful to Governor Healey for placing her trust in me to serve as a Commissioner, and I look forward to working with Chair Maynard and the entire team at the Gaming Commission.” 

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission was created after “An Act Establishing Expanded Gaming in the Commonwealth” was signed into law on November 22, 2011. The Commission is a full-time, five-member independent body that is the single licensing and regulatory body of the casino, horse racing, and sports wagering industries in Massachusetts. 

The Commission consists of five commissioners, one appointed by the governor, one appointed by the attorney general (who must have experience in criminal investigations and law enforcement), one appointed by the State Treasurer (who must be proficient in corporate finance and securities), and two appointed by a majority vote of the same three constitutional officers. The Governor designates the Chair of the Commission. 

About Jordan Maynard  

Jordan Maynard has served the Massachusetts Gaming Commission as interim chair since March 2024 after being appointed commissioner in August 2022. Since joining the Commission, he has played a pivotal role in successfully rolling out sports wagering, enhancing consumer experiences, and continuing to support robust responsible gaming initiatives focused on player health to protect all citizens in the Commonwealth. 

Maynard spearheads the MGC’s involvement in the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Youth Sports Betting Safety Initiative, working with statewide partners to combat underage sports wagering while creating a curriculum to educate youth on the potential harms of unsafe gambling. He has made security at the brick-and-mortar properties in Massachusetts a top priority, working with the licensees on best practices and prioritizing the safety and wellbeing of patrons. Maynard is committed to creating regulations and policies that will enhance the economic benefit of gaming for the Commonwealth to benefit area residents, local businesses and employees. Leading with care and fidelity to the law, Maynard’s work has helped maintain the strong reputation of the MGC amongst its partners and licensees. 

In October 2024, Maynard was named by the Innovation Group to the Emerging Leaders of Gaming 40 under 40 class of 2025. Earlier in 2024 he was recognized by US Gaming Hub’s Game Masters Top 100 Most Influential Figures in the US Gaming Industry. 

Prior to joining the Commission, Maynard served as Chief Secretary to the Governor. He is a 2010 Graduate of Morehead State University and a 2013 graduate of Northern Kentucky University’s Chase School of Law. 

About Paul Brodeur  

Paul Brodeur previously served as the Mayor of Melrose from 2019-2024, delivering four on-time balanced budgets and managing the municipal response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He successfully won passage of a major renovation of the Melrose Public Library and led a debt exclusion campaign to rebuild four Melrose public safety buildings. Previously, he was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 2011-2019, serving the communities of Melrose, Wakefield and Malden. He was the House Chair of the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development and was the Vice-Chair of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications. During this time, he negotiated the 2018 labor rights law known as “the Grand Bargain,” which increased the minimum wage to $15 an hour and created a new universal Paid Family and Medical Leave program. Under this leadership, the Commonwealth also passed the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and important reforms to Massachusetts non-compete laws. His first elected office was as an Alderman in Melrose.  

Prior to holding elected office, Brodeur was Acting General Counsel for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs, an enforcement attorney in the Massachusetts Securities Division and handled criminal prosecutions in the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office. He received his BA in Government and Law from Lafayette College and his JD from Suffolk University. He lives in Melrose with his wife Elizabeth, his two sons, and his dog Wilbur. 

MAYOR MICHELLE WU ANNOUNCES START OF SUPPLIER DIVERSITY WEEK

MAYOR MICHELLE WU ANNOUNCES START OF SUPPLIER DIVERSITY WEEK  Boston launching compact with Cambridge to build local economic growth, opening SCALE grant program, and celebrating major gains in city contracting with diverse and local small businesses BOSTON — Monday, October 28, 2024 — Today, Mayor Michelle Wu kicked off the City’s second annual Supplier Diversity Week, reaffirming the City’s commitment to supporting local, diverse businesses in city contracts. As part of this effort, Mayor Michelle Wu and the City of Cambridge City Manager Yi-An Huang today signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) entitled “Compact to Build Local Economic Growth,” a public commitment by the City of Boston and City of Cambridge to work together to advance shared supplier diversity goals. This includes increasing public contracting for minority-owned (MBEs), women-owned business enterprises (WBEs), veteran-owned (VBEs), and LGBTQ-owned business enterprises (LGBTQBEs). The Mayor also announced the opening of applications for the Supplying Capital and Leveraging Education (SCALE) Grant Program, the release of the annual Equity in City Contracts Report paired with a new data dashboard, and a series of events and workshops aimed at supporting residents and local business. “We are blessed in Boston to have incredible businesses who strengthen our local economy and bring so much vibrancy to our community,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “To make Boston a home for everyone, we must keep building on our work to support small, local businesses across neighborhoods. I’m thrilled to partner with the City of Cambridge to ensure that we coordinate our efforts and increase contracting opportunities for businesses that have traditionally not had access to public contracts. Through the opening of the SCALE program and Boston’s strong progress towards our supplier diversity goals, I’m excited for the work the City and all of our partners will continue to do together to build wealth in our communities and support businesses across Boston.” “Thanks to Mayor Wu and her commitment to closing the racial wealth gap, ensuring that a greater share of City contracts are awarded to local, small, diverse firms continues to be a top priority for the Administration. This is evidenced by a second year of continued process improvements, deeper collaboration across the City team, and important achievements like exceeding $100 million in spending with these firms in just one fiscal year,” said Chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion Segun Idowu. “I am grateful for the hard work of the Supplier Diversity and Procurement teams who are not just creating pathways to contract opportunities, but providing on-ramps for local and diverse firms to become competitive. This type of progress will not only transform the lives of business owners, workers, and residents, but also cast the city in a new light as a place where all dreams can grow.” “As a major buyer of goods and services, it is important that the City of Boston uses its buying power to empower local, small, and diverse businesses and to help close the racial wealth gap,” said Chief Financial Officer Ashley Groffenberger. “Under Mayor Wu’s leadership, our teams have worked to streamline processes, uplift our data and lower barriers to City contracting. Now, we have the ability to hold ourselves accountable through an interactive public dashboard that will show progress in reaching our supplier diversity goals. I am grateful to the Mayor, Chief Idowu, and the Supplier Diversity, Procurement and Auditing teams for their dedication to this effort.” The Boston/Cambridge compact will build local economic growth by strengthening the relationship between the City of Boston’s Department of Supplier Diversity (DSD) and the City of Cambridge’s Community Development Department (CDD). This signed compact will ensure both departments work closely together, consistent with applicable laws and regulations, to increase contracting opportunities for, and supporting the growth and development of, MBEs, WBEs, VBEs, and LGBTQBEs. This compact will allow the City of Boston to certify Cambridge-based businesses, work with the City of Cambridge to provide access and assistance to MBEs, WBEs VBEs, LGBTQBEs, and other diverse businesses in City of Boston procurement opportunities and business initiatives. The City of Cambridge will provide City of Boston certified businesses with access to Cambridge training opportunities and help the City of Boston with determining eligibility of Cambridge-based businesses to be certified in Boston. This initiative aims to build on Boston’s ongoing goal of building generational wealth, expanding economic opportunities for residents across Boston’s neighborhoods and better support local MBEs, WBEs, VBEs, and LGBTQBEs. “The City of Cambridge is excited to partner with the City of Boston and elevate opportunities for minority-owned, veteran-owned, women-owned, and other historically disadvantaged businesses,” said Cambridge City Manager Yi-An Huang. “We are deeply committed to creating a more equitable and welcoming procurement process, while more broadly supporting and uplifting the many diverse businesses' in our area. This is the latest step of many that Cambridge has undertaken to improve its supplier diversity. I am especially grateful for the collaboration between the Cambridge’s Community Development and Purchasing Departments and Mayor Wu's Office and the City of Boston. If they are not already, we encourage diverse Cambridge and Boston businesses to become certified now.”

Supplying Capital and Leveraging Education (SCALE) Grant Program In line with ongoing City efforts, Mayor Wu and the Economic Opportunity and Inclusion Cabinet also announced that the City’s Supplying Capital and Leveraging Education (SCALE) grant program will open this Friday, November 1 at 12:00 p.m. and close on Monday, December 2, 2024. The program will provide selected participants with a grant of up to $200,000 and industry-specific technical assistance for three to six months. Selected participants will be small, local, businesses and a part of industry categories that currently represent a large share of the City’s public contracts. The grant program funding, provided by the American Rescue Plan Act, is anticipated to total $5 million and will be disbursed in the beginning of 2025. Mayor Wu first announced the foundation for SCALE during Supplier Diversity Week 2023. The BDC Community Capital Corporation will now administer and execute the SCALE grant program. Once grant recipients have been selected, BDC Community Capital Corporation and technical assistance providers will work with SCALE participants to create a plan to use the funding to address key pain points that limit their businesses’ ability to perform larger institutional contracts or identify investments that will help them scale.  “We are absolutely thrilled to work with the City of Boston to launch this program. The City’s focus on assisting the scaling up of underserved businesses by securing public contracts, is critical to fostering economic growth and ensuring equitable opportunities for all members of our community,” said Karim Hill, President of BDC Community Capital Corporation. Equity in City Contracts Annual Report and Data Dashboard  In an effort to ensure residents and local businesses have a clear understanding of the City’s contracting and spending, the Office of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion (OEOI), Department of Supplier Diversity (DSD), and Procurement Department are releasing its annual Equity in City Contracts Report. For the first time, in partnership with the Auditing Department, this report will be released with an interactive data dashboard that will better show the City’s contract spending and provide transparency on the City’s progress towards Boston’s supplier diversity goals. For Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, the City of Boston achieved the following:  Diverse companies got contracts that were worth more: The City of Boston awarded a total of $1.8 billion in contracts that began in FY24, of which $224.7 million, or 12%, was awarded to certified minority- and women-owned businesses (MBEs, MWBEs, and WBEs), representing a 40% increase in contract award value. The City spent more than ever before with certified businesses: Contract spending with certified minority-and women-owned businesses (MBEs, MWBEs, and WBEs) in FY24 totaled $144.3 million, or 11% of all City of Boston discretionary spending, representing an 88% increase in discretionary spending with certified businesses. Since the City began tracking these metrics, this is the first time in the City’s history that diverse firms have been awarded more than $100 million in a single fiscal year. The City ramped up utilization of Inclusive Quote Contracts (IQC): Established by Mayor Wu’s home rule petition in 2022, the IQC procurement method now allows City officials to use the written quote process, a simpler and cost-effective process for both small, local businesses and City departments, instead of procurements through a Requests for Proposals or Invitation for Bids to procure supplies and services up to $250,000 when purchasing from certified small, local, disadvantaged businesses. The City has awarded 26 total IQC’s, 19 of which were awarded in FY24.  FY24 saw a measurable increase in the number of Certified Businesses: DSD certified 209 new businesses, an increase from 157 new certifications in 2023. DSD increased the total number of City-certified businesses in the directory to 916, a 13.4% increase from the previous fiscal year. Throughout this week, the City of Boston’s Department of Supplier Diversity is hosting a variety of free and open resource fairs, sessions, and workshops to highlight and promote diversity and inclusion within Boston’s business community. These workshops will provide small business owners with essential tools and knowledge to successfully navigate the City’s contracting processes. To register for Supplier Diversity Week Workshops, please visit this link or boston.gov/sd. This announcement builds on the Mayor’s commitment to break down barriers for businesses, expand opportunity for residents and make Boston a home for everyone. Last year, the City of Boston’s Contracting Opportunity Fund awarded approximately $750,000 in grants of up to $15,000 with a focus on six priority sectors that represent areas of high municipal spending. To advance equity in procurement, Mayor Wu launched the Sheltered Market pilot program, which allowed the City of Boston to designate certain contracts for procurement from minority- and women-owned businesses. In 2016, then-Councilor Wu and then-Councilor Ayanna Pressley presided over the City Council hearing that examined the City’s procurement process and efforts to support local businesses. In 2017, then-Councilor Wu and then-Councilor Ayanna Pressley co-sponsored an ordinance that required the City to collect more data on contracting.

2024跟著僑委會的角度看台灣 (華文媒體訪台紀行)

僑委會委員長徐佳青(前排中)和僑務通訊社社長吳曉竹(前右二)
和海外華文媒體。(僑委會提供)

             (Boston Orange 周菊子台北報導) 中華民國建立113年，以台灣為家75年之後，政經文化及社會風貌於今如何? 僑務委員會為此特地邀請包括Youtuber的來自10國22名海外華文媒體業負責人，到台灣參訪8天7夜，期以讓更廣闊的世界看見台灣，認識台灣的自由、民主。

               僑委會基於政府「行動創新、AI內閣」政策目標所安排的參訪行程，包括拜會政府部門，參加國慶晚會及國慶大會，聽取新創企業簡報，參觀平面、廣播及電視媒體，遊覽主題路線等活動。

僑委會迎接雙十簡報

僑委會委員長徐佳青(前中)和圓山飯店董事長葉菊蘭(前右三)
和報到得獎僑胞合影。(周菊子攝)

             第一天，先到中央聯合辦公大樓，參加僑委會辦的僑胞回國報到及i僑卡特約商店推廣記者會。

僑委會委員長徐佳青(左)頒獎給第一個報到的僑胞。(周菊子攝)

             僑委會委員長徐佳青在現場歡迎僑胞，說明截至10月3日這天，已有4000多名僑胞報到，估計今年回國慶祝雙十的僑胞人數會破紀錄。凡是報到的僑胞都可以領到一份以黑熊為主題，由徐委員長親自設計，以中華民國生日快樂，美麗台灣為主題的手提袋、漁夫帽等精美禮物。

僑委會副委員長阮昭雄(立者)率僑委會同仁簡報僑委會業務。(周菊子攝)

                         徐委員長還提醒僑胞們辦張i僑卡，就可在包括台灣600多家，全世界8000多家公司、企業享有優惠，圓山大飯店就是其中之一。僑委會還邀請34家旅行社，規劃了162條路線，並提供每人3000元的補助，花東線加碼補助到3600元，希望僑胞們充分利用機會，進一步認識台灣，協助花東振興經濟。凡是持有i僑卡的僑胞，都可報名參加、申請補助。她說，雖然I僑卡已有8萬人申請，但不設上限，歡迎僑胞申辦。

在歡迎僑胞之際，徐委員長還提醒僑胞，520之後，歡迎對台灣五大信賴產業有興趣僑胞們，返台投資，加入促進台灣經濟發展的行列。

僑務通訊社社長吳曉竹說明僑委會的頻道。(周菊子攝)

僑委會接著安排了一場綜合座談，由副委員長阮昭雄率同僑委會的綜合規劃處處長郭淑貞，僑民處處長王怡如，副處長閻樹榮，僑教處專員劉俊男，僑商處簡任視察廖雲萱，僑務通訊社社長吳曉竹等人說明僑委會的各項業務，以及招攬僑生，引進人才，輔佐僑商等重點方向。阮副委員長還以他曾是發言人的經歷，直諫媒體不要一味求快而失真。

行政院。(周菊子攝)

僑務通訊社社長吳曉竹則特地說明，僑委會現在有Youtube頻道，line，臉書，X，Instagram等傳播頻道，其中的X和Instagram更是使用純英文，以加強和僑胞第二、第三代的聯繫。

拜會政府部門

拜會政府部門部份，僑委會安排的參訪包括晉見副總統蕭美琴，拜會行政院、外交部、數位發展部。

行政院有院長卓榮泰親自出席，向媒體闡述賴清德總統上任後計畫推動的國家希望工程，以及行動101方案，要和世界連結的願景。

東方年代電視台董事長吳麗珍(左)代表海外媒體團送
紀念品給行政院長卓榮泰。 (周菊子攝)

外交部安排政務次長吳志中和媒體晤談。吳志中獲有巴黎第一大學政治博士學位，以及法國總統在2014年頒給的「法國國家功勳騎士勳章」。他在擔任駐法代表6年期間，善用網路媒體和線上活動，讓更多人關注、認識了台灣。他強調，做外交，不只需要注重語言，更得把內容說清楚，才能促使國際社會關注台灣議題。

東方電視台董事長吳麗珍送加拿大冰酒給外交部政次吳志中作紀念品。(周菊子攝)

數位發展部由次長林宜敬代表出席。台大資工系畢業的林次長，從美國布朗大學取得電腦科學博士，在美國住了8年後，1997年才回台灣，曾任職趨勢科技、華通電腦，後來自己開公司，一直都在軟體業工作，進數位發展部才4個多月。

林宜敬表示，數位發展部目前有3項主要工作，一是促進台灣軟體產業的發展，利用提供算力、資料、人才，來建構一個健康的人工智慧生態環境。二是資訊安全，三是打擊詐騙，數發部研發了一個「網路詐騙通報查詢網」。

文化及民俗參訪

外交部大門。(周菊子攝)

                    在景點餐訪上，僑委會安排的參觀有二二八紀念館，女路及大稻埕，松山文創園區，烏來泰雅民族博物館，台北市客家文化中心，台北流行音樂中心，饒河夜市。

228國家紀念館

228紀念館展覽。(周菊子攝)

             僑委會安排的導覽為訪團從1947年2月27日在台北市太平町天馬茶房附近，私菸攤販林江邁被查緝員毆傷，路人陳文熙被槍殺的「緝菸血案」，2月28日民眾從大稻埕結隊遊行抗議，抵達長官公署時被衛兵以機關槍掃射，多人死傷，部分民眾透過台灣廣播電台對外發送消息，引發全台各地騷亂，成為了二二八事源源起，

              做了十分詳盡的介紹。     導覽也解釋了二二八紀念館以1930年代由台灣總督府交通局遞信部為發展台灣廣播事業而成立的「台北放送局」為館址，並在1997年2月28日，二二八事件發生的50週年正式開館的緣由。如今全台灣在二二八國家紀念館之外，另有22個地方設有228紀念碑、紀念公園。

女路及大稻埕

數位發展部。(周菊子攝)

           僑委會鑒於台灣的更加強調性平法後，特地安排女路參訪，介紹歷史中被忽視的在地女性故事。台北市的女路有大稻埕，萬華（艋舺）、松山錫口，北投等地景。媒體訪團走的是大稻埕路線，沿路參觀了霞海城隍廟、永樂布業商場、黑美人大酒家舊址、大千百貨、大安醫院舊址、新芳春茶行等。

數位發展部次長林宜敬。(周菊子)

              參觀大安醫院舊址，到旁邊的義美店鋪逛一圈時，許多對台灣現況已頗生疏的訪團成員意外發現，原來台北市前市長柯文哲成立的「台灣民眾黨」，竟和蔣渭水與林獻堂1927年成立，1931年解散的「台灣民眾黨」，名字一模一樣，然後想到有著極強個人色彩的柯文哲「台灣民眾黨」幾年前迅速崛起，如今面對黨主席身繫囹圄的窘狀。       

松山文創園區

烏來泰雅民族博物館。(周菊子攝)

            座落在大巨蛋旁邊的松山文創園區，從2011年正式對外開放以來，規劃了跨界實驗、共好平台、創意學院、創意櫥窗、創作者工廠等５大領域的國際型文創聚落。園區內文創展售攤位之多，產業類型之多元化，園區內的人潮，都讓人印象深刻。

導覽員講解228國家紀念館內的陳列物。(周菊子攝)

烏來泰雅民族博物館

張雨生的專輯也在展出品中。(周菊子攝)

                  烏來泰雅民族博物館是新北市政府為保存烏來泰雅傳統文化，1990年發起，2005年開始營運的一個民族文化館。訪團成員在這兒知道了烏來鄉泰雅人被稱為屈尺群，早年有13個大小部落，國民政府時期合併為忠治、烏來、孝義、信賢、福山等５社，泰雅族人染織材料整備，工序，纏頭巾、披肩等衣飾特色，生活用品就地採集材料等的生活習俗等，以及台灣有原住民約59萬人，分別有16族，佔總人口2.51%等概況。

        台北流行音樂中心

流行音樂人用的樂器。(周菊子攝)

             台北流行音樂中心原本是文化部為帶動台灣成為華語流行音樂創作與表演中心，而由文化部籌建，台北市政府協辦的2003年行政院新十大建設之一，2020年９月正式啟用，是台北市的第一個行政法人。

             訪團成員到訪時，正是「唱　我們的歌　流行音樂故事展（Music, Island, Stories: Pop music in Taiwan）」展出期間。佈展者請李宗盛等音樂名家的聲音為參觀者導覽開始，在３個樓層，13個展區，請16位引言人，展示113首歌曲，1400多件流行音樂名人的手稿、樂器、服飾等物品，在創意豐富的設計中，帶參觀者走過、認識了台灣流行音樂歷史。

平面、廣播、電視媒體參訪

             儘管僑委會顧及媒體業轉變，今年在傳統報章及廣播、電視媒體之外，邀請了Youtuber，Podcast，IG (Instaram)等新社群媒體創作者參訪，但在拜會、參訪台灣媒體上，倒只安排了華視，中央廣播電台，以及天下雜誌等偏傳統媒體。

華視大樓屋頂的停機坪可眺望101大樓。(周菊子攝)

             華視創設於1971年，和台視、中視並稱為老三台。2021年慶祝成立50週年，接手中天頻道撤照後留下來的3 獨立系統52頻道。在媒體生態環境改變下，新聞與綜藝節目並重的華視，近年也積極多元發展。華視總經理特助張正等人帶媒體訪團參觀了華視新聞部，可輕易使用各種虛擬背景的數位影棚，導播室，以及樓頂直升機停機，共藏有逾萬件明清等各朝代戲服的衣飾收藏間。甫於今年1月接任華視總經理的報導者基金會董事長劉昌德隨後親至現場和海外媒體代表互動。

上任不到一年的華視總經理劉昌德。(周菊子攝)

              中央廣播電台由副總台長李冠毅，央廣學院經理曾偉旻，公共服務部副理賴邦寧等人出面與媒體訪團座談。

             李冠毅說明，央廣除了在圓山飯店旁的總管之外，在淡水、口湖、褒忠等地有3個分館，另外在民雄有個國家廣播文物館。成立於1928年的該台，是中華民國唯一專責向國際廣播的電台，以20種語言發聲，未來的方向是要做國際連接，加強對國內新聞同業及傳播人才的培育，協助刻在台灣的大約200多名外籍媒體記者從台灣去看世界，今年1月還特地成立了央廣學院。，

央廣副總台長李冠毅(右)。(周菊子攝)

             李冠毅也很自豪地說，今年的第59屆廣播金鐘獎，央廣入圍了12項大獎，另外入圍了國際廣播協會( AIB)的大賽。新聞部也入圍了卓越新聞獎    ，體現了央廣在節目及新聞上的付出與努力，對社會的關注和對全球一體的掌握。   

天下雜誌

天下雜誌獨立評論總監廖雲章。(周菊子攝)

           「天下」是台灣第一本財經雜誌，創辦迄今已40餘年，隨著最早期讀者的年齡成長，以及產業及媒體生態環境的轉變，如今的天下有5大事業部，包括已從月刊改為半月刊的天下雜誌，以及康健，親子天下，換日線，和有點像Coursea那樣的【天下學習】。目前「天下」的營收有一半來自數位內容與服務，每2年出版一本數位轉型報告。

天下雜誌獨立評論總監廖雲章等人在回應天下如何成功轉型的提問時，她說，天下的發行人一直相信教育，以及跟上或創造趨勢的重要性，所以很多時候，作為台灣第一本財經雜誌，也是第一個採用讀者付費制的「天下」都是走在前端，包括使用ChatGPT、AI

天下雜誌的理念。(周菊子攝)

等等。當然另外一個「天下」能夠順利走上讀者付費這條路的原因是，財經媒體的讀者比較願意為有價值的知識和資訊付費，「天下」本身的含金量高，對記者的要求也高，為員工提供有Coursera課程，以及一年20本書的持續學習資源。           

海外華文媒體訪問團參訪行程中還有2個重點，國慶晚會和國慶大會。

國慶晚會

賴清德在國慶晚會中提要認清祖國。(周菊子攝)

             國慶晚會是由立法院院長韓國瑜擔任籌備主委，台北市市長蔣萬安率隊承辦，有2萬人出席的一場盛會。這不但是大巨蛋自落成啟用以來，首次舉辦非體育性活動，還有封咪9年後首度露臉的江蕙當表演嘉賓，外傳黃牛票價喊至1萬6千元。

   
         在晚會中，韓國瑜說怎麼看，中華民國國旗都是最美麗的國旗。他呼籲家家戶戶在10月10日這天把國旗掛出來。

左起，卓榮泰、韓國瑜，蔣萬安、郝龍斌、戴錫堃。(翻拍自現場螢幕)

             蔣萬安則說，「讓首都台北成為大家的驕傲，展現中華民國向心力、凝聚力，讓世界看到團結的台灣」。 

           總統賴清德在中華民國國歌演唱完畢後步入會場。致詞時，他十分週到稱呼韓國瑜、卓榮泰，蔣萬安之後，「代表全體國人祝賀中華民國113歲生日快樂，國運昌隆，全國人民安康幸福」。

國慶晚會現場。(周菊子攝)

             賴清德強調，在慶祝之際，最重要的有一樣意義是「我們一定要銘記，我們是一個主權獨立的國家，我們要愛我們的國家，時時愛我們的國家，同時要學習先賢先烈的精神，犧牲奉獻，我們要團結守護國家主權，維護民主自由人權的生活方式，才不辜負這麼多年來，犧牲奉獻的每一個人。

江蕙演唱。(周菊子攝)

             賴清德說，「最近，我們的鄰居，10月1日剛過完75歲生日。再過幾天，中華民國就要過113歲生日，因此就年齡來說，中華人民共和國是絕對不可能成為中華民國人民的祖國，反倒是中華民國可能是中華人民共和國75歲以上的民眾的祖國。不過中華民國在台澎金馬落地生根已經75年，我們是不必再去談論這層關係，但是如果有人要祝賀中華人民共和國生日快樂，特別祝賀詞要精準，切勿用祖國兩字。大家說對不對?

出席國慶大會的群眾，排隊進場時會經過北檢。(周菊子攝)

 
           賴清德還特別指出，鑒於山陀兒颱風來襲造成的狀況，行政院院長卓榮泰在編列明年度預算時，特別增加了治水預算159億元，使總金額達到551億元，要提供給各縣市政府做水利建設，來因應氣候變遷所蒞臨的各種災害。希望大家一起來，讓國家更繁榮、強壯。

           韓國瑜院長的強調中華民國旗幟漂亮，應遍地懸掛，賴清德總統官祝賀詞需精準，別把中華人民共和國稱為祖國的發言，當晚就在社交網路中引發巨量關注與評論。

總統府前掛出中華民國和吐瓦魯的國旗。(周菊子攝)

             僑委會委員長徐佳青在國慶晚會上以多種語言問好，歡迎僑胞返國同慶。她在僑委會接受僑胞報到的第一天，曾指出，台北市政府只撥給僑委會2000個位子，以至於不是每名返國僑胞都有機會進大巨蛋，僑委會也很無奈。

國慶大會

          10月10

立法院院長韓國瑜。(周菊子攝)

日一早，在總統府前舉行的國慶大會是另一個重點。總統賴清德和副總統蕭美琴在總統府內接待包括吐瓦魯總理戴斐立等嘉賓後，率同各國使節及到賀嘉賓進入席上有前總統陳水扁、蔡英文，前副總統陳建仁，海基會副董事長羅文嘉等人的主席台，立法委員黃珊珊、黃國昌，羅智強，葉元之，名嘴黃暐瀚等人，也都側身主席台上。

             韓國瑜院長、賴清德總統、代表僑胞的美國台灣同鄉會會長陳桂鈴等人一一致詞。

中華民國總統賴清德。(周菊子攝)

             賴清德總統在國慶演說中說，「我們永遠不會忘記75年前的古寧頭戰役，66年前的823戰役，不分族群的你我守住了中華民國」。45年前的「美麗島」事件為民主運動做先鋒，最終實踐了人民當家做主的願望。

             賴清德報告，他在總統府內成立了「國家氣候變遷對策委員會」、「健康台灣推動委員會」、「全社會防衛韌性委員會」等3個委員會，會持續推動「第二次能源轉型」，要提升國家整體的「國防」、「民生」、「災防」、「民主」等四大韌性。未來除了要推動「5+2

全美台灣同鄉會會長陳桂鈴代表僑胞致詞。(周菊子攝)

」產業創新，「六大核心戰略產業」，還要發展半導體、人工智慧、軍工，安控、以及世代通訊的「五大信賴產業」。明年度撥給地方政府的一般補助款，以及統籌稅分配款增加895億元，「0到6歲，國家一起養」。他說台灣將提早啟動「長照3.0」，落實防治慢性蹦的「888計畫」，成立「百億癌症新藥基金」，推動「健康台灣深耕計畫」等。

             賴清德擁抱「中華民國」這名稱的演講詞，讓許多一直認為他是台獨堅定擁護者的人大感意外。

軍機把國旗運進會場。(周菊子攝)

             在今年的國慶大會表演節目上，不但有勇鷹機隊在天空中拉出紅白藍的國旗顏色，台北市第一女子高級中心樂儀隊和國防部三軍儀隊，聯合樂隊，陸軍專科學校戰鼓隊，陸軍機械化步兵第333旅埔光龍的表演拉開序幕，竟然還有由陸海軍招募員組成的國軍人形氣偶隊上場。

北一女樂儀隊進場。(周菊子攝)

             2024年是一個國際局勢暗潮洶湧，台灣面對更多不確定性的年份。僑委會安排的海外媒體訪問團也因應媒體業新生態，首次在傳統的平面、廣播、電視媒體業者之外，廣納網路自媒體、Youtuber、Podcaster等新媒體經營者。這次的訪團有來自馬來西亞、菲律賓、印尼、澳洲、巴西、加拿大、美國、法國、義大利、南非的媒體從業人員。

國軍人形氣偶隊。 (周菊子攝)

             其中來自義大利米蘭的2名youtuber，陶品熙 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etYsRgsP5v8)   和王雪靜 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJZrBn9rvoY)，在訪團行程結束後，分別製作了別具一格的視頻，讓人從不同角度「看」見台灣。

波士頓僑務委員郭競儒(左)和僑委會委員長徐佳青在會場相逢。 (周菊子攝)

民眾黨立法委員黃國昌。 (周菊子攝)

立法委員黃珊珊進場。 (周菊子攝)

立法委員羅智強(右起)、葉元之進總統府廣場看台時和僑胞打招呼。 (周菊子攝)

海基會副董事長羅文嘉。 (周菊子攝)

中華民國總統府。 (周菊子攝)