THE Negros Occidental Scholarship Program Division (NOSPD) has announced that the provincial government is now accepting applications for its Study Now, Pay Later - Northern Territory, Australia scholarship program for commercial cookery, and early childhood education and care.
The provincial government, in a statement, said applicants for commercial cookery must have a degree in culinary, hospitality management or hotel and restaurant management with at least two years experience in actual commercial cookery.
Applicants for early childhood education and care must have a degree in elementary education, board passer with at least two years experience in teaching.
They must be single, between 25 to 30 years old, resident of the province with good attitude towards hard work, alert and have excellent communication skills, patient and resourceful, with excellent interpersonal and leadership skills, and no criminal record particularly with children, it said.
Applicants must also have good command of written and oral communication in English language and must pass the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
Qualified applicants for commercial cookery will study at the International College of Advanced Education (ICAE) while qualified applicants for early childhood education and care will study at Alana Kaye College in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
They will be allowed to work 20 hours per week to support themselves for two years while the provincial government will pay for their one-way travel to Australia, tuition and other fees.
Since this is a Study Now, Pay Later program, the grantees must pay the provincial government on installment basis.
This program is in coordination with the Office of Honorary Consul to Northern Territory, Australia, Januario Rivas, and Negros Occidental Language and Information Technology Center (Nolitc).
NOSPD head Karen Dinsay yesterday said that one of the scholars who took commercial cookery in 2018 was granted Permanent Residency (PR) visa recently.
For his part, Provincial Administrator Atty. Rayfrando Diaz II said that the recent visit of Australian Ambassador to the Philippines His Excellency Steven Robinsons to the province signals the “strong and closer relationship” between Negros Occidental and Australia.
“I would like to congratulate Joery Rio of Talisay City on his new status as a permanent resident of Australia and on his achievement as a Sous Chef in one of the restaurants in Darwin,” Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said.
The governor expressed hopes that the other six scholars will also be granted permanent residence visas soon.
Lacson said since the Australia government has reopened its borders, he will continue to support scholarship programs with international cooperation because these are trailblazing programs that will strongly make an impact on the lives of deserving Negrenses.
Interested applicants may submit their resume, diploma, birth certificate, work related certificates or current employment certificate at the NOSPD Office at the Second Floor, Multi-Purpose Building on Aguinaldo Street in Bacolod City. (With Capitol reports)