The Ministry of National Defense from tomorrow to Saturday is to run a recruitment drive for high-school and vocational-school students to join military academies amid growing concerns over troop shortages.
The academies of the army, navy and air force would jointly host two days of activities for the event’s 394 participating “elite” students to encourage them to include military schools in their wishlist for higher-education entrance exams, officials told a news conference in Taipei yesterday.
Students from 184 schools across Taiwan who signed up to join the event would have a chance to speak with instructors and officer cadets about potential careers in the military, said army Major General Fu Cheng-jung (傅政榮), head of human resources at the ministry’s Resources Management Department.
Photo courtesy of the Republic of China Military Academy
The student volunteers would take part in rock climbing, sharpshooting exercises and other activities under the supervision of military instructors, Fu said.
Government records show that Taiwanese military academies last year enrolled 1,530 cadets, falling short of the target of 1,561.
The aging population and international trends have had a negative impact on recruitment, and the military would redouble its efforts to recruit prospective officers, Fu said.
They include sending recruiters to engage students and rural communities, and better utilize media platforms to attract young people to serve, he added.
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