Australian scholarships deadline end of April

Vincentian students seeking Master’s or PhD degrees in select areas have until the end of April 2012 to take advantage of Australia Award Scholarships, which cover tuition and room and board at Australian Universities, as well as providing for travel expenses and a stipend.{{more}}

Meanwhile, young Vincentians seeking employment within the United Nations System as UN Professionals should indicate their interest in taking examinations for entry into the UN’s Young Professionals Programme (YPP). The YPP Examinations will be administered in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on 5 December, 2012.

The Australia Award Scholarships are available to all CARICOM nationals. Vincentians must be interested in pursuing a degree at the Master’s or PhD level. Priority will be given to applicants with an interest in areas related to Climate change and natural resource management; Regional Integration and economic resilience; Education; and Food Security (agriculture and fisheries). Scholarship recipients will be ‘bonded’ to work within the CARICOM region for a two-year period post-graduation. Priority is given to government employees, academic staff and employees of regional development organisations.

The Australia Awards cover travel, tuition, field work, health insurance and a living allowance (stipend). Applications must be submitted by 30 April, 2012, at the following web site: http://oasis.ausaid.gov.au.

Additional information on the Australia Award Scholarships is available at: http://www.trinidadandtobago.embassy.gov.au/ptsp/study.html

UN Young Professionals Programme

The United Nations Young Professionals Programme is a recruitment tool for young qualified individuals seeking a professional career in the United Nations. According to the UN: The United Nations is looking for highly qualified candidates who are ready to launch a professional career as an international civil servant. The young professionals programme (YPP) is a recruitment initiative that brings new talent to the United Nations through an annual entrance examination. For young, high-calibre professionals across the globe, the examination is a platform for launching a career at the United Nations.

This year, the YPP Examinations will be offered in selected countries around the world, including Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica, and Saint Lucia.

The examinations in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are open to Vincentian citizens who are under 32 years of age, hold at least a first-level university degree and speak either English and/or French fluently.

The YPP is extremely competitive and traditionally requires a great deal of preparation. However, since nationals of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are underrepresented among the professional ranks of the United Nations, successful examinees may have a greater likelihood of employment within the UN system.

Individuals wishing to take the YPP examination in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are encouraged to communicate this desire to the Ministry of Education as soon as possible.