Ministry of Agriculture Promotes Program for High School Students to Enter Agriculture, Over 4,200 Participations Recognized

(CNA Reporter Wang Shufen, Taipei, June 18) The Ministry of Agriculture launched the "Incentive Program for High School Students to Enter Agriculture" in the 106th academic year. Now in its 10th year, the program's scope has expanded to cover all departments within the agricultural cluster. The Ministry of Agriculture estimates that over 4,200 student participations have completed agricultural career exploration and received incentives.

The Ministry of Agriculture announced in a press release today that it will continue to collaborate with 36 schools nationwide in the 115th academic year to promote the "Incentive Program for High School Students to Enter Agriculture."

The Ministry of Agriculture stated that since the launch of the "Incentive Program for High School Students to Enter Agriculture" in the 106th academic year, it has continuously encouraged students to explore career paths during winter and summer breaks or weekend holidays. This provides opportunities to gain in-depth understanding of modern agricultural industry operations beyond textbooks or through first-hand practical experience, thereby fostering practical skills.

Eligible students under the "Incentive Program for High School Students to Enter Agriculture" who complete over 20 days of career exploration will receive an incentive of NT$10,000 per semester. Furthermore, students ranking in the top 50% of their class academically will receive an additional scholarship of NT$5,000 per semester.

The Ministry of Agriculture mentioned that students participating in the "Enter Agriculture Program" who accumulate over 40 days of career exploration throughout the academic year and meet the scholarship standards for both semesters can receive up to NT$30,000 annually. They hope that students about to enter high school will actively choose agricultural-related departments in the cooperating schools when filling out their preferences in late June, and join the agricultural family.

To comprehensively ensure the safety of students during off-campus practical training, the government fully subsidizes accident insurance of NT$2 million and medical insurance for injuries of NT$200,000 for each student, allowing them to participate with peace of mind.

The Ministry of Agriculture statistics show that the program's beneficiaries now cover all departments within the agricultural cluster, including: Farm Management, Agricultural Machinery, Horticulture, Animal Health, Aquaculture, Marine Fisheries, Landscape Architecture, Forestry, and Leisure Agriculture. Over 4,200 student participations have completed career exploration and received incentives. Additionally, over 2,200 outstanding farm or agricultural operators have joined as mentors, strengthening students' practical agricultural skills and workplace competitiveness.

The Ministry of Agriculture stated that students participating in the "Incentive Program for High School Students to Enter Agriculture" will receive bonus points when applying for agricultural public-funded specialized programs in the future, increasing their chances of admission.

Currently, seven universities and colleges, including National Chiayi University, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, National Ilan University, Taitung Vocational School, National Chi Nan University, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, and Tunghai University, offer agricultural public-funded specialized programs. During their studies, the Ministry of Agriculture provides public funding of up to NT$395,000 for four years.

The Ministry of Agriculture reported that over 260 high school students who participated in the "Enter Agriculture Program" have been admitted to agricultural public-funded specialized programs. After graduation, if students choose to directly engage in agricultural operations, they can also connect with the Ministry of Agriculture's workplace support measures for young farmers, enjoying subsidies for agricultural business preparation funds of up to NT$840,000 for three years. (Editor: Chen Ching-fang) 1150618

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