THE TECHNICAL Education and Skills Development Authority urged trainers and professors in the agriculture sector to pursue advanced studies on modernized farming under a training program offered by Agro Studies in Israel.

TESDA Director General Danilo Cruz said about 500 scholarship slots have been allotted to aspiring trainers to participate in the 11-month program that exposes Filipinos to advanced studies and training in various agricultural areas.

“I encourage our trainers and professors to avail of this special training program in Israel. The knowledge and skills they would gain will not only make them better educators but will also contribute to the advancement of the Philippine agriculture sector,” he said.

Last July 28, Israeli Ambassador Ilan Fluss paid a courtesy call on Director General Cruz and Deputy Directors General Rosanna Urdaneta and Aniceto Bertiz III to discuss further initiatives in strengthening the agriculture sector.

Agro Studies is an international training center which offers agricultural education in Israel to interns from developing countries. It focuses on capacity building through practical and professional knowledge transfer in agriculture.

These courses include programs on horticulture, animal science and entrepreneurial initiative where interns also participate in research subjects in farm and empower them to plan and establish agricultural business enterprise.

Interns in the Agro Studies program receive an hourly allowance of $9 to cover their living expenses, travel and fees.

Participants are also entitled to other work benefits, including overtime pay, annual vacation leave, paid holidays and sick pay.

Upon completion, the interns are expected to contribute to the improvement of the agricultural curriculum of TESDA and other training institutions in the country.