THE ISRAEL government, in partnership with the Philippines’ Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), is offering a paid internship program on agriculture for young Filipinos with 550 slots open this year.
“We are offering this program, which we are going to do together with TESDA, of sending interns to Israel in the agriculture sector. They can go to Israel for 11 months, they learn about agriculture and commercial farming,” Israel Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss said in an interview in Davao.
Mr. Fluss was in the city last week for the celebration of the 75th anniversary of Israel’s independence on May 18.
“By the end of the 11 months, they would submit a project proposal and when they come back home, they will be able to save money because, in the five days a week of working, they get a salary as students,” he said, noting that this is standard practice in Israel.
“The challenge is when they come back, how to make sure that they are immersed into the sector. Because they are well-trained now, other countries like in Europe and New Zealand, recruit them. The idea is for them to come back here and work here,” the envoy said.
Applicants for the program must already have a link to agriculture, including farming, working with cooperatives, or academics.
“They have to be connected to agriculture,” he said. — Maya M. Padillo
