Without formal qualifications, Pacific Island workers can find themselves stalled on the career ladder. When work demands make it near impossible to study and attain qualifications – and the costs and accessibility of such opportunities are out of reach – it can become a demoralising cycle.
Recognising this, the Australia-Pacific Technical College (APTC) has sought partnerships with industry across its campus countries in Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands to give more Pacific Islanders the opportunity to gain Australian-standard qualifications, enhancing their skills, career prospects and earning capacities.
Over 5800 men and women from 14 Pacific Island Countries have gained qualifications from APTC, taking back these skills to their workplaces, families and communities. An initiative funded by the Australian Government to deliver training and increase the supply of skilled workers in targeted sectors in the Pacific, APTC works with governments, educational institutions as well as private sector partners to ensure that the college meets labour market demands.
“APTC does not work in isolation,” says APTC CEO Denise O’Brien. “The success of our graduates and programmes is underpinned by the strong partnerships we have forged with the training institutions, employers and industries across the region.”
A Memorandum of Understanding between APTC and the University of the South Pacific, signed in March, will see the opening of new kitchen facilities and the Pacific Fusions training restaurant this month and the provision of Hospitality training at the university’s Laucala Campus in Suva. The APTC-USP partnership supports several of the University’s priority areas outlined in its Strategic Plan 2013-2018.
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