A scholarship program to encourage students to develop a career in agriculture is to continue next year, the Ministry of Agriculture said, with 35 vocational high schools participating in the program, which provides up to NT$30,000 (US$1,034) per academic year.
The scheme was launched in 2017 to incentivize vocational high-school students studying farm management, agricultural machinery, horticulture, animal health and husbandry, aquaculture, marine fisheries science, landscape gardening, forestry or recreational farming to explore potential career paths in agriculture through internships on weekends or during vacations, the ministry said.
Students who complete a career exploration internship program of at least 20 days would receive a NT$10,000 scholarship for a semester, it said, adding that outstanding interns in the top half of the program would receive an additional NT$5,000, meaning that by completing a minimum 40 days of internships and with grades meeting the scholarship threshold in both semesters, a student could receive NT$30,000 in an academic year.
Photo: Yang Yuan-ting, Taipei Times
The ministry also provides NT$2 million in casualty insurance and NT$200,000 in injury medical insurance to help protect students engaged in internship activities outside of school, it added.
More than 3,700 students have participated in the scheme since it was launched eight years ago, while more than 2,200 business owners have collaborated with participating schools to provide training, the ministry said.
Students who complete the programs would increase their likelihood of admission if they apply for a government-sponsored special class in agriculture studies, it said.
Six institutions recruit such students: National Chiayi University, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, National Ilan University, National Taitung Junior College, National Chi Nan University and National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, the ministry said.
The government offers such students a subsidy of up to NT$395,000 across four years of tertiary education, it said, adding that 237 students who participated in the internship program at high school have been admitted to a government-funded agricultural college program.
Those who graduate university and launch an agricultural business can apply for a separate program that provides up to NT$840,000 over three years for agricultural workers aged 18 to 45 with less than two years of agricultural work experience, the ministry said.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
Carrefour Taiwan is to begin using a new name from the start of July, but it cannot divulge the name until then, the chairman of the supermarket chain's parent company said today. President Chain Store Co chairman Lo Chih-hsien (羅智先) was asked by reporters after a shareholders' meeting to confirm whether the company has settled on a new name for the supermarket brand. In March, the government-registered name of two Carrefour Taiwan branches was quietly changed to "Le Chia Kang" (樂家康) in Chinese, raising speculation that has been selected as the name. Lo said that because of local regulations and contractual obligations, the
The Philippines would likely be involved in any conflict over Taiwan due to its proximity to the democracy claimed by China, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said, reiterating a stance that risks angering Beijing. “In the Philippines, we do not have a choice because Taiwan is so close to the Philippines and we have almost 200,000 Filipino nationals living and working in Taiwan,” Marcos said in an interview with Japanese media in Manila on Monday. The Philippine leader’s comments come ahead of a state visit to Japan next week, where he is to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to discuss security
RSS