interest shown in this regard, financial clearance from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MOFED) was approved for the training of 400 trainees instead of 200. This Scheme was extended in March 2017 to the private sector to enable all registrants to secure an appropriate placement opportunity. Table 29: Statistics for Trainee Engineer Scheme as at 31 July 2019 As at 31 July 2019 Male Female Total 780 278 1058 Number of trainees placed in the Public Sector 253 65 318 Number of trainees placed in the Private sector 116 37 153 Total 369 102 471 Applications received Placement Source: Training Unit- Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations, Employment and Training (Employment Division) SERVICE TO MAURITIUS 167. The Government has also put in place the Service to Mauritius (STM) Programme. Applications are invited from University graduates, postgraduates and PhD holders from outside of the public service and below the age of 45 years, (including candidates with disabilities) who wish to be enlisted as Intern under this programme for a period of one year, which may be renewed for two additional years, subject to satisfactory performance. 168. Interns enlisted under the Service to Mauritius Programme will be paid fixed all-inclusive monthly allowance subject to satisfactory performance as follows: Table 30: Monthly Allowance under the Service to Mauritius Programme Undergraduates Postgraduates PhD holders Year 1 (Rs) 20,000 25,000 35,000 Year 2 (Rs) 22,000 27,500 38,500 Year 3 (Rs) 24,200 30,250 42,350 Source: Ministry of Finance and Economic Development 169. The objective of the programme is to – a) b) c) d) attract the best and brightest young minds to spend some time in the Public Service; enable young people to contribute their knowledge; attract resources for a well- defined task to deal with shortage of skills; provide an opportunity to graduates to get work experience 92