The South Province determined to keep young Caledonian talent on the territory

Amongst the various projects presented by the South Province, one concerns students of Caledonian origin. While many of them go to France to pursue their higher education, not all of them return to the territory. As such, the Southern Province is planning an assistance program aimed at attracting graduates to return to the country. 

Philippe Blaise, vice-president of the South Province explains: "Hundreds of young students leave the territory to complete their higher studies abroad, we help them through scholarships and travel expenses, however it is very important that they come back to New Caledonia. We want to give them a strong incentive to come back: the South Province would propose a loan of 5 million CFP for those willing to set up their own business; or it would run the employer's social charges during the first 18 months of contract for those hired by a company in Caledonia. 

Regarding the allocation of this loan, he specifies: "This loan is targeted, meaning the potential students must not be over 35 years old, must have completed a BAC +5 (5 years of university studies), and must have lived at least 10 years in Caledonia before going away for studies”.