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Salient: Victoria University Students' Paper. Vol. 24, No. 15. 1961.
Volunteer Graduate Scheme
Volunteer Graduate Scheme
In the late stages of 1959 two New Zealand University Graduates left New Zealand to serve for 18 months in Indonesia under the Volunteer Graduate Scheme. While in Indonesia these two males will work for the Indonesia Government, one as a lecturer in the Bandung Teachers Training College, and one as an accountant in the equivalent to the New Zealand Department of Inland Revenue.
They were to receive only the salary of Indonesians occupying posts of the same status. The New Zealand Government had paid their fares and had given each a small clothing allowance to cover the expense of clothing adaptation from New Zealand to the heat of Indonesia.
One of these two men is still in Indonesia. Ron Kilgour, after serving for the eighteen months, returned to New Zealand, married and returned to Indonesia with his wife who is now teaching English in that country.
The Volunteer Graduate Scheme was first established by the National Union of Australian University Students as a scheme to give Australian graduates a chance to serve in an under-developed country but not in an advisory capacity.
Today, six New Zealanders are in Indonesia under the scheme. They work hard for poor salaries, are often frustrated by the inefficiency which they encounter, live very much as the Indonesians do, but feel very much that they are playing a role in the development of the nation.
Behind the Volunteers is a committee resident in Wellington which is responsible for their selection and for the administration of the scheme generally. The committee are, in their turn, responsible to the New Zealand University Students Association.
Many students at this stage of the year, nearing graduation, realise that the time to leave university has come but at the same time feel that they are capable of doing something to contribute to the stability and happiness of another nation less fortunate than New Zealand. For them the V.G.S. offers a chance to serve in Indonesia. Indonesia today is particularly short of engineers, doctors and other qualified men to serve in the civil service there. To those of you who are further interested the following brief details may direct you to your local students association office where application forms for the scheme are held.
| 1. | The term of service is usually eighteen months. |
| 2. | Return fares, equivalent to second class air fares are paid for you. |
| 3. | A clothing allowance of £60 is paid to each volunteer to allow him, or her, to equip for a climate very different from that of New Zealand. |
| 4. | A rehabilitation allowance of £5 per month for each month you serve in Indonesia. |
| 5. | While in Indonesia you will be in all ways an employee of the Indonesian Government. |
| 6. | To give you an idea of the range of work available in Indonesia the following is the list of New Zealanders who have or are serving in Indonesia:—
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| 7. | From the time you apply under the scheme until you reach Indonesia may take from four to eight months. |
| 8. | Candidates are selected in the first instance by the Volunteer Graduate Scheme Committee in Wellington. After this initial selection the candidates' names are forwarded to the Resident Executive of N.Z.U.S.A. for approval. The Department of External Affairs are also responsible for approving of any candidate. After all approvals have been obtained the candidates name is forwarded to the Indonesian Government who is responsible for accepting and placing the candidate in the Government service. |
Should any student wish to learn more of this scheme before applying they should write to:—