Seven Palauan college graduates, 2 with masters and 5 with bachelors are entering into Palau’s workforce next January as part of the Fellowship Award Program of the Palau National Scholarship Board, an internship program aimed at encouraging young Palauan college graduates to return home to Palau and contribute to Palau’s growth as employees.
“The program this Spring semester has only 7 students unlike last summer where it had 27 graduated college students participating,” reported Noel Yalap, Student Network Specialist under the Fellowship Award Program of the Palau National Scholarship Board.
This Spring’s Fellowship Awardees are Darla Babauta with a Masters degree, Jeremiah Ngiratreged with Bachelor’s degree, Turang Rengiil with Bachelor’s degree, Sharnnel Sumang with Master’s degree, Shiphrah Tellames with Bachelor’s degree, Tkakl Mekreos with Bachelor’s degree and Shanetty Masang with Bachelor’s degree.
Yalap further explained the reason for low numbers this spring saying that normally more students graduate at the end of Spring so they can join summer internship than those graduating in the Fall.
Fellowship Award Program was created under the Palau National Scholarship Board through RPPL 9-43 to provide incentives and opportunities for Palauan college graduates to come home after college to work.
The program pays for an airline ticket of qualified graduate to return home and work as an intern at an establishment, public or private for 8 weeks with the intention to engage the graduate in Palau as an employee. The program also pays for the full 8 weeks internship.
“The students who apply for the Fellowship Award, identify and negotiate with the entities they want to work for and go through the application process with them as well. Once accepted by the company or agency and we receive all their required documents, we will then process their tickets to come home,” said Yalap.
“It is not mandated but we strongly encourage those agencies and companies that accept interns to hire them after the internship,” added Yalap.
Recipients of the Fellowship Award are given orientation and training before they go into their selected fields of work.
The ultimate goal of this program is to ensure that the Republic produces and retains well educated Palauan leaders for the community. This year’s applicants for 2020’s spring internship will begin on January 6, 2020. (Kerdeu Uong)