DPP launches paid traineeship for children of foreign-born parents

Taipei, July 31 (CNA) The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has begun accepting applications for a paid traineeship targeting the children of foreign-born parents.

The DPP initially advertised the program as open to Taiwanese citizens aged 18-30 with at least one foreign-born parent.

However, when asked if these terms breached the Employment Service Act, a DPP staffer told CNA that the program's online application form would be revised, removing the age limit and emphasizing that it only "prioritizes" second-generation immigrants.

According to the DPP, trainees will learn about the legislative procedure and rules, the fundamental knowledge about reviewing budget requests, the characteristics of local support bases and how to mobilize them, how to write press releases and interact with media workers, and how to edit videos and create content for social media.

Applications are open until Aug. 9 and can be submitted by filling out an online form (https://forms.gle/yeZfdMiuYvJcFQSQ7).

The DPP said it would pick seven to 10 applicants to receive basic training before assigning them to the offices of party lawmakers, where they will undergo up to 80 hours of training per month for two months.

The part-time traineeship pays NT$14,640 (US$446) a month and includes them with Labor Insurance and National Health Insurance coverage.

At a news conference Wednesday to unveil the program, DPP Legislator Loh Meei-ling (羅美玲) said that prior experience in politics was not a prerequisite for applying, adding that by the end of the program, trainees will be sufficiently equipped for the challenges of the political arena.

Meanwhile, DPP New Taipei City Councilor Mai Yamada -- herself the daughter of a Japanese father and a Taiwanese mother -- told the news conference that she also started her political career interning at a lawmaker's office.

The children of new immigrants are "seeds of diversity" that play a crucial role in bringing Taiwan to the world, Yamada said.

Noting that the DPP established a Department of New Immigrant Affairs in 2023, Deputy Secretary-General Ho Po-wen (何博文) said the party hoped to encourage participation in public affairs by the children of foreign-born parents through the traineeship program.

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