Program Beasiswa Pasca Sarjana untuk Rekrut Staf Baru AusAID Ditiadakan

Terbit 9 November 2013, 21:16 AEST

Kementrian Luar Negeri dan Perdagangan Australia memastikan tahun depan tawaran Program Beasiswa Pasca Sarjana untuk Rekrut Staf Baru AusAID  ditiadakan.


Awal tahun ini pemerintah koalisi mengumumkan pemotongan anggaran bantuan luar negeri Australia sebesar AUS$4,5 milyar. (Credit: AAP) 

Juru bicara Kementrian Luar Negeri dan Perdagangan Australia (DFAT) mengatakan penghentian program ini merupakan salah satu tindakan pertama pemerintah koalisi untuk menggabungkan AusAID dengan DFAT.

Selain itu dikatakannya situasi banyak berubah.  Program ini bertujuan untuk mempersiapkan lulusannya untuk berkarir dengan AusAID, padahal dana bantuan luar negeri telah dikurangi sebanyak AUS$5 milyar.

Sementara AusAID sendiri telah melakukan perekrutan untuk mengelola program bantuan senilai AUS$8 miliar, karenanya merekrut staf tambahan dianggap tidak diperlukan lagi.

“Dengan pemotongan dana program AusAID yang dikurangi hingga AUS$5milyar,  sangat tidak bertanggung jawab jika terus melanjutkan perekrutan staf tambahan.” Katanya.

Faktor lain yang mendasari keputusan ini adalah komitmen pemerintah untuk menghapus 12 ribu pekerjaan di seluruh sektor pelayanan publik guna menghemat anggaran.

Kementrian Luar Negeri dan Perdagangan akan terus melajutkan program pasca sarja bagi mereka yang sudah ada didalam program. Dan  nasib dari lulusan program ini berikutnya akan ditetapkan lebih lanjut.

Note:

AusAID graduate program berbeda dengan Australia Awards Scholarships , AAS bagi para mahasiswa asing untuk belajar di Australia masih jalan terus.

AusAID Graduate Program participate in work rotations across the agency, providing an overview of its operations, on-the-job training and skills development, and they could have opportunities to work overseas during the program. Untuk lebih jelas bisa baca AusAID graduate program axing hits students

DFAT confirms offers for next year’s AusAID graduate program revoked

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has confirmed it has revoked offers made for next year’s AusAID graduate program.

The program prepares graduates for a career with AusAID, the government agency responsible for managing Australia’s overseas aid program.

One of the Coalition Government’s first acts was to merge AusAID with DFAT.

Job cuts had been foreshadowed as a result of the decision.

A DFAT spokeswoman says the circumstances have changed since the time of recruitment earlier this year.

“AusAID was recruiting to manage an $8 billion aid program,” she said.

“With the program now reduced to $5 billion, it would not be responsible to proceed with the recruitment of additional staff.”

The Government announced a $4.5 billion cut to foreign aid funding in the policy costings earlier this year.

Other factors taken into account were the Government’s commitment to cut 12,000 jobs across the public service and the increased efficiency dividend.

The Department will continue to run its graduate program next year for people currently in the program.

It says decisions about future graduate programs will be made in due course.