The nation's economic slowdown and rising unemployment rate have apparently spurred a 38 percent increase in the number of young people applying to become professional servicemen this year, the personnel recruitment center under the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said yesterday.
Attractive salary packages are one of the main factors behind the rapid increase in the number of youths intent on becoming servicemen, said Colonel Chiu Chao-li (邱肇理), deputy director of the recruitment center.
"The starting salary for a corporal is NT$33,000 per month, while that for a second lieutenant is NT$41,000 a month," Chiu said.
"These salaries are much higher than those for equivalent positions in the civilian sector."
"The number of senior high school graduates who have registered for an examination for speciality officers' positions is 11,877, or 38.33 percent more than last year," Chiu said.
Every March the military accepts applications for service.
Specialty officers are officers who serve a shorter term than career officers and who train for two years to become eligible for service. They start their service with the rank of second lieutenant.
These servicemen form one of the main sources of officers for the military.
The military also depends on other sources, including military academies and college graduates who serve as reserve officers during their 20-month compulsory service.
"The figure for junior high school graduates who have applied for non-commissioned of-ficers' [NCO] qualifications is 8,252, up 51.10 percent over last year," he said.
Examinees who have passed the NCO examination have to train for three years before they can begin their service, at the rank of corporal.
"It is expected that the competition among examinees in these two categories will be very intense," Chiu said.
"In the category of specialty officers, eight examinees will fight for every position, while in the category of NCOs, three examinees will fight for every position."
Chiu made the remarks yesterday at a regular MND press conference, as he gave a briefing on personnel recruitment for the three services this year.
"Since the establishment of the personnel recruitment center three years ago, the last two years have seen a rapid growth in the number of applications for entering military service," Chiu said.
While Taiwan's unemployment rate is at an all time high of 3.73 percent, Chiu did not want to attribute the increase in applications entirely to the economy.
"The economic downturn and high unemployment rate are just two of the factors contributing to the increase in the number of young people interested in becoming servicemen," Chiu said.
"I think the main reason should be the series of reforms Chief of the General Staff General Tang Yao-ming (
"The reforms include the life-long learning program now enforced across the services.
"Due to Tang's efforts, the military now offers a good environment for young people to develop their careers," he added.
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